Avid Interplay Engine And Archive Administration Guide 3.4 Manual AG V3 4 En

User Manual: avid Interplay Engine - 3.4 - Administration Manual Free User Guide for Avid Interplay Software, Manual

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Interplay®| Engine and
Interplay | Archive Engine
Administration Guide
Version 3.4
2
Legal Notices
Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc.
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Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software [i.e., the TIFF library] and its documentation for any purpose is
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3
Copyright 1996 Daniel Dardailler.
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Modifications Copyright 1999 Matt Koss, under the same license as above.
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This product includes portions of the Alloy Look & Feel software from Incors GmbH.
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© DevelopMentor
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Footage
Eco Challenge Morocco — Courtesy of Discovery Communications, Inc.
News material provided by WFTV Television Inc.
Ice Island — Courtesy of Kurtis Productions, Ltd.
Interplay Engine and Interplay Archive Engine Administration Guide • Created September 22, 2015 • This
document is distributed by Avid in online (electronic) form only, and is not available for purchase in printed form.
5
Contents
Using This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Viewing Help and Documentation on the Interplay Production Portal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Interplay Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 1 Getting Started with the Interplay | Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Understanding the Interplay Engine and Interplay Workgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Using the Interplay Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Starting the Interplay Administrator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Using the Interplay | Administrator Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Opening an Interplay | Administrator View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Opening Interplay | Production Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Exiting the Interplay Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chapter 2 Database Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Creating an Interplay Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Creating and Restoring Database Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Types of Interplay Administrator Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Recommendations for Backup Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Setting the Number of Database Backups to Keep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Scheduling Automatic Database Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Starting a Backup Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using an Archiving Tool for Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Restoring an Earlier Version of a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Performing a Partial Restore of an Interplay Production Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Creating a Metadata-Only Backup for Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
6
Performing a Consistency Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Viewing Database Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Database Information Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Locking and Unlocking Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Managing Databases: Deactivating, Activating, and Migrating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Deactivating a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Activating a Deactivated Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Migrating a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Moving a Database to Another Server (Non-Clustered Systems). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Moving a Database and Users to Another Server (Non-Clustered Systems) . . . . . . . . . 71
Moving a Database to Another Server (Clustered Systems) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Moving a Database and Users to Another Server (Clustered Systems) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Moving a Database Under Low Disk Space Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Renaming a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Running Database Maintenance Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Identifying the Root Folder of the Interplay Server Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Chapter 3 Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Changing the Database and Data Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Viewing Server Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Locking and Unlocking the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Restarting the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Managing Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Installing Permanent Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Displaying the Licenses View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
License Types and Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Exporting a License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Troubleshooting Licensing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Using the License Key Info Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Configuring Third-Party Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Chapter 4 User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Understanding the Central Configuration Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Moving the CCS to Another Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Viewing and Changing the CCS for a Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
7
Adding Users to a Central Configuration Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Setting Avid ISIS Authentication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Setting Windows Domain Authentication and Importing Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Setting LDAP Authentication and Importing Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Understanding Default User Groups, Users, and Roles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Adding User Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Adding Users Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Viewing and Setting Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Understanding Standard Roles and Default Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Viewing and Changing Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Viewing and Setting Authentication Providers for Individual Users . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Deleting Users and User Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Removing Users from User Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Managing Database Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Viewing General Role Assignments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Setting or Changing a General Role Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Blocking Access by a Group or User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Managing Special Access Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Guidelines for User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Chapter 5 Site Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Defining Property Layouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Setting the Resolutions Available for Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Creating Custom Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Adding a Custom Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Setting Access Control for Custom Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Working with Lists for Custom Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Configuring Remote Workgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Configuring Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Adding Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Removing Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
8
Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Configuring the Interplay Streaming Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Interplay Production Services View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Interplay Transfer Status View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Interplay Transfer Settings View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Workgroup Transfer Presets View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Specifying Remote Servers for Asset Tracking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Specifying Archive Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Archiving Duplicate Versions of Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Adding AAF Metadata to an Archive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Specifying the Archive Server, Segment Size, and Restore Process . . . . . . . . . . 177
Setting the Ownership for New Database Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Enabling Interplay Synced Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Setting Options for Deletion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Understanding the Deletion Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Scheduling the Deletion of Database Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Setting Options for Deleting Only OMF Media, Only MXF Media, or Both. . . . . . . 191
Setting Options for Deleting Locked Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Activating the Option to Delete Referenced Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Using the Delete Kept Media Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Viewing and Setting the Metadata Override Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Production Engine Bus Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Chapter 6 Application Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Application Database Settings View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Setting Options in the Editing Settings Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Setting Audio Mixing Defaults for Access, Assist, and MediaCentral | UX. . . . . . . 209
Sending a Source to Playback in Interplay Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Setting the Shotlist Start Timecode for Interplay Access and Interplay Assist . . . . 212
Setting an Automatic Timeout for Interplay Assist and Avid Instinct . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Configuring the Frame Locators Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Configuring the Restrictions Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Media Composer | Cloud Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
9
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Instinct/Assist User Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Pro Tools Plug-Ins Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Chapter 7 Interplay Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Chapter 8 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Troubleshooting Login Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Troubleshooting Client Connection Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Optimizing Interplay Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Troubleshooting Firewalls and Interplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Creating the Server Execution User Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Determining the Server Execution User Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Re-creating the Server Execution User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Shutting Down or Locking the Server Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Chapter 9 Reuniting a Split Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Preparing to Reunite a Split Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and _InternalData) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Configuring the workgroup.xml File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Appendix A Installed Components and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Apache Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Data Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Preview Server Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Server Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Required TCP/IP Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Avid Interplay Engine Servers and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Avid Interplay Engine Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Avid Workgroup HTTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Avid Workgroup Server Browser Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Avid Workgroup Preview Server Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Avid Workgroup TCP/COM Bridge Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
10
Avid Workgroup VSS Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Appendix B Interplay Engine Configuration Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Configuring the Server Event Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Config.xml File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Supported Actions in Config.xml . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Supported Events in Config.xml. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Server Event Configuration Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
LogWatch.xml. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Sending E-mail Notifications from LogWatch.xml . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Configuring Client Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Setting the Filetransfer Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Appendix C Valid and Invalid Characters in Interplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Appendix D System Metadata Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Appendix E Server Error Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Appendix F Consistency Check Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Consistency Check Critical Errors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Consistency Check Errors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Consistency Check Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Symbols and Conventions
11
Using This Guide
Congratulations on your purchase of Interplay®| Production, a powerful system for managing
media in a shared storage environment. This guide describes how to use
Interplay | Administrator, an Interplay client application that provides tools to configure the
Interplay | Engine and to manage the database on the server.
This guide is intended for all Interplay administrators who are responsible for installing,
configuring and maintaining an Interplay Engine or Interplay Archive Engine (database, server,
and all related client connections and user rights) in an Interplay workgroup. This guide includes
a detailed description of each of the Interplay Administrator task groups and how you can use
them to administer your server and databases. Some of the settings that you are able to change
affect the server itself, while others only affect the database stored on the server.
The Interplay Administrator is supported on both the Microsoft® Windows® and the Mac OS®X
platforms. When necessary, the guide describes platform-specific differences.
nThe documentation describes the features and hardware of all models. Therefore, your system
might not contain certain features and hardware that are covered in the documentation.
nLimited number of client applications per user per machine: A user can run only one Interplay
Access session and one Interplay Administrator session on one machine. This software does not
support terminal/server sessions.
Symbols and Conventions
Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
nA note provides important related information, reminders,
recommendations, and strong suggestions.
cA caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to
your computer or cause you to lose data.
wA warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm.
Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when
handling electrical equipment.
If You Need Help
12
If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using your Avid product:
1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is
especially important to check each step of your workflow.
2. Check the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was
published. You should always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe
because the online version is updated whenever new information becomes available. To view
these online versions, select ReadMe from the Help menu, or visit the Knowledge Base at
www.avid.com/support.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/support. Online services are available 24
hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers, to view
error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read or join
online message-board discussions.
> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the
order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the
File menu and then select the Import command.
This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list
indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.
(Windows), (Windows
only), (Macintosh), or
(Macintosh only)
This text indicates that the information applies only to the specified
operating system, either Windows or Macintosh OS X.
Bold font Bold font is primarily used in task instructions to identify user interface
items and keyboard sequences.
Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.
Courier Bold font
Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.
Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the
mouse action. For example, Command+Option+C or Ctrl+drag.
| (pipe character) The pipe character is used in some Avid product names, such as
Interplay | Production. In this document, the pipe is used in product
names when they are in headings or at their first use in text.
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
Viewing Help and Documentation on the Interplay Production Portal
13
Viewing Help and Documentation on the
Interplay Production Portal
You can quickly access the Interplay Production Help, links to the PDF versions of the
Interplay Production guides, and other useful links by viewing the Interplay Production User
Information Center on the Interplay Production Portal. The Interplay Production Portal is a Web
site that runs on the Interplay Production Engine.
You can access the Interplay Production User Information Center through a browser from any
system in the Interplay Production environment. You can also access it through the Help menu in
Interplay | Access and the Interplay | Administrator.
The Interplay Production Help combines information from all Interplay Production guides in one
Help system. It includes a combined index and a full-featured search. From the Interplay
Production Portal, you can run the Help in a browser or download a compiled (.chm) version for
use on other systems, such as a laptop.
To open the Interplay Production User Information Center through a browser:
1. Type the following line in a Web browser:
http://Interplay_Production_Engine_name
For Interplay_Production_Engine_name substitute the name of the computer running the
Interplay Production Engine software. For example, the following line opens the portal Web
page on a system named docwg:
http://docwg
2. Click the “Interplay Production User Information Center” link to access the Interplay
Production User Information Center Web page.
To open the Interplay Production User Information Center from Interplay Access or the
Interplay Administrator:
tSelect Help > Documentation Website on Server.
Interplay Documentation
14
Interplay Documentation
The following documents describe how to use Interplay Production:
•Interplay | Production Best Practices — provides an overview of the major Interplay
components, shows sample configuration diagrams, and describes several of the key
features, such as setting up a user database and using the Interplay Archive Engine.
•Interplay | Production Software Installation and Configuration Guide — describes how to
use the Interplay Production installation programs to install and configure software on the
various systems that make up a Interplay environment.
•Interplay | Engine Failover Guide — describes how to set up a cluster configuration for the
Interplay Engine and the Interplay Archive engine. There are two versions of this guide: one
for SR2500 systems and one for AS3000 systems.
•Interplay | Engine and Interplay | Archive Engine Administration Guide — describes how to
administer your Interplay Engine or Interplay Archive Engine and Avid Interplay database.
•Interplay | Access User’s Guide — describes how to use Interplay Access to browse, search,
and work with assets in the Avid Interplay database.
•Interplay | Assist User’s Guide — describes how to use Interplay Assist for logging,
archiving, and sending to Playback material in an Interplay environment.
•Avid Instinct User’s Guide — describes how to use the Avid Instinct application to write
iNEWS stories and put together simple audio and video sequences.
•Interplay | Production Services Setup and User’s Guide — Interplay Media Services lets
you control and automate Transcode, Archive, and other Interplay Media Services.
•Interplay | Transfer Setup and User’s Guide — describes how to use Interplay Transfer to
transfer media to and from another workgroup, send finished sequences to a configured
playback device, ingest media from a configured ingest device, and perform standalone
transfers between workstations.
•Avid Service Framework User’s Guide — describes how to use the logging, monitoring, and
management features of the Avid Service Framework applications.
•Interplay | Capture User’s Guide — describes how to use Interplay Capture, a newsroom
ingest tool that enables automated recordings.
•Interplay | Capture Administrator’s Guide — describes administrative concepts, tasks, and
reference material for Avid Interplay Capture.
All documents are available in PDF form on the Avid Knowledge Base at
www.avid.com/onlinesupport.
Avid Training Services
15
Avid Training Services
Avid makes lifelong learning, career advancement, and personal development easy and
convenient. Avid understands that the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself is always
changing, and Avid continually updates course content and offers new training delivery methods
that accommodate your pressured and competitive work environment.
For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books,
please visit www.avid.com/support and follow the Training links, or call Avid Sales at
800-949-AVID (800-949-2843).
1Getting Started with the
Interplay | Administrator
The Interplay Administrator provides database administrators and maintenance engineers with
the tools required to configure the Interplay Engine and to manage the database on the server.
The following topics provide basic information for using the Interplay Administrator:
•Understanding the Interplay Engine and Interplay Workgroups
•Using the Interplay Administrator
•Starting the Interplay Administrator
•Using the Interplay | Administrator Window
•Opening an Interplay | Administrator View
•Opening Interplay | Production Help
•Exiting the Interplay Administrator
For an overview of all Interplay components, see the Interplay Best Practices Guide.
Understanding the Interplay Engine and Interplay
Workgroups
The Interplay Engine forms the backbone of the Interplay environment. The Interplay Engine is a
server that combines an asset database with workflow management software, both of which are
integrated with Avid shared storage and Avid archive solutions. This topic provides basic
information about the functions and components of the Interplay Engine.
One Interplay Engine, One Interplay Database, One Shared Storage Network
The Interplay Engine is one component of an Interplay workgroup. At a minimum, an Interplay
workgroup is composed of one Interplay Engine, one Interplay database, one Avid ISIS
shared-storage network, and associated software and services.
Understanding the Interplay Engine and Interplay Workgroups
17
An Interplay database consists of two parts:
• A metadata database, which holds information about the assets, or metadata.
• Source files for the assets, for example, graphics files and Avid media files. The source files
for file assets can be stored on the Interplay Engine or on an Avid shared-storage system.
The source files for Avid assets are always stored on shared storage.
The following illustration shows the metadata database and the source files for file assets stored
on the internal drive of the Interplay Engine server and the source files for Avid assets stored on
an Avid shared storage workspace.
For information about all Interplay components and detailed sample configurations, see
Interplay Best Practices.
Avid Assets, File Assets, and Splitting the Database
Interplay manages two different kids of assets. Avid assets are assets that are created by Avid
applications through capture, ingest, import, or transfer. Avid assets include:
• Master clips
•Subclips
• Sequences
•Effects
• Motion effects
• Rendered effects
• Group clips
File assets are any assets that are not created by an Avid application. Any file you can create on
your workstation, through applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Word, can be
added to the Interplay database and managed by Interplay as a file asset.
Metadata
Database
Avid
Shared Storage
File Assets
Media for
Avid Assets
Avid Interplay Engine
Understanding the Interplay Engine and Interplay Workgroups
18
Media files for Avid assets are always stored on an Avid shared-storage system. Source files for
file assets can be stored on the Interplay Engine or on an Avid shared-storage workspace. The
location that holds file assets is called the file repository.
cPrevious versions of this guide described how to set up a split database. A split database
refers to a configuration in which only the metadata database is stored on the Interplay
Engine. All other database files and folders are stored on an Avid shared-storage
workspace. This configuration is no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split
Database” on page 235.
Multiple Workgroups
A large production facility can have more than one Interplay workgroup. Each workgroup must
have its own Interplay Engine, database, and shared storage network. Users on Interplay Access
can view and access assets from more than one workgroup and can transfer them from one to
another using a file copy procedure for file assets and Interplay Transfer for Avid assets. You can
also use the Interplay Delivery service to transfer Avid assets.
Interplay Archive Engine
A facility might also include an Interplay Archive Engine. An Interplay Archive Engine is
configured similarly to an Interplay Engine. An Archive Engine is integrated with a third-party
archive system. An Interplay Archive database is always named AvidAM. An Interplay database
is always named AvidWG.
An Interplay Archive database and an Interplay database use different icons, as shown in the
following illustration from Interplay Access. The archive database is represented by a safe, and
archive folders are represented by boxes.
Understanding the Interplay Engine and Interplay Workgroups
19
For more information about the Interplay Archive Engine, see Interplay Best Practices.
nIn this guide, references to the Interplay Engine also refer to the Archive Engine, unless
otherwise noted.
Central Configuration Server
If a production facility includes more than one Interplay workgroup, you can specify one
Interplay Engine as the Central Configuration Server (CCS). The CCS is an Interplay Engine
module that stores information that is common to all other Interplay Engines. The CCS provides
a means to manage user accounts across multiple workgroups. For more information, see
“Understanding the Central Configuration Server” on page 105.
Interplay online
database
Interplay
Archive Engine
database
Using the Interplay Administrator
20
Server Execution User
The Server Execution User is a Windows operating system user that runs the Interplay Engine
processes. You specify the user name and password for the Server Execution User when you
install the Interplay Engine on the server. The Server Execution User needs local administrator
rights on the operating system for the Interplay Engine server and read/write access to the Avid
shared-storage file system.
For more information, see “Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account” on page 230.
Interplay as a Client-Server Application
Interplay is designed as a client-server application. The Interplay Engine is configured to run on
a central machine that is accessible to all users through a network. An Interplay application that
runs on a client machine is a client of the Interplay Engine server. Interplay client applications,
such as Interplay Access, Interplay Assist, Avid Instinct®, and Avid editing applications that use
the Interplay Window can access and browse multiple databases. The Interplay Administrator is
also a client application.
Interplay uses TCP/IP and related protocols for its network communication. Therefore, TCP/IP
must be installed on all machines. Since TCP/IP is used to access the Internet, most users already
have this component installed. See “Required TCP/IP Ports” on page 256 for more information.
Using the Interplay Administrator
The Interplay Administrator is a client application that you use to manage either the Interplay
Engine or the Interplay Archive Engine. The Interplay Administrator is installed at the same time
that you install Interplay Access. You can install the Interplay Administrator as a client on any
computer in your network and then use it to manage any Interplay Engine or Interplay Archive
Engine that is available on the network. For information on installing Interplay Access and the
Interplay Administrator, see the Interplay Software Installation and Configuration Guide.
The Interplay Administrator provides you with the tools you need for the following major tasks:
• Setting up a new database. See “Creating an Interplay Database” on page 26.
• Backing up the database. Backing up the database regularly protects your data, allowing you
to restore the database to a saved state in the event of failure. See “Creating and Restoring
Database Backups” on page 29.
• Maintenance tasks, such as locking, unlocking, and restarting the server. See “Server
Settings” on page 87.
• Creating, editing, and deleting user accounts and managing user authorization. See “User
Management” on page 105.
Starting the Interplay Administrator
21
• Configuring client applications and the workgroup. See “Site Settings” on page 145.
• Configuring the Interplay Archive Engine. See “Specifying Archive Settings” on page 174.
For more information on archiving, see Interplay Best Practices and the Interplay
Production Services Setup and User’s Guide..
• Configuring Application Settings and Interplay Services. See “Application Settings” on
page 196 and “Interplay Services” on page 225.
Starting the Interplay Administrator
To start the Interplay Administrator:
1. Do one of the following:
tClick the Start button and then select All Programs > Avid >
Avid Interplay Access Utilities > Avid Interplay Administrator.
tFrom Interplay Access, select Tools > Open Interplay Administrator.
The Interplay Administrator Server Login screen appears.
The first time you open the Interplay Administrator, the Server text box is empty. If you have
already logged into a server, the text box shows the last server you logged in to.
Using the Interplay | Administrator Window
22
2. Select the server you want to work with by doing one of the following:
tAccept the server that is displayed.
tType the name of the server that you want to log in to. You can also use an IP address.
tClick the arrow for the Server list and select the server name from the list.
The first part of the list shows recent servers, the second part of the list shows servers
that were added manually (not on a local area network), and the third part shows servers
available on your local area network.
tClick the arrow for the server list and select Add Server. Type a new server name.
3. Type a user name and password for an account with administration rights.
On the first start after installing the Interplay Engine, only the user Administrator exists.
Type “Administrator” in the dialog box. The password is empty by default. Change the
password of the Administrator as soon as possible (see “Viewing and Setting Attributes” on
page 128).
nThe Interplay Administrator account is different from the Server Execution User account. The
Interplay Administrator account is used to manage users and the database. The Server Execution
User account is used to run the Interplay Engine processes.
4. Click Connect.
The Interplay Administrator window opens.
If you have any problems logging in, see “Troubleshooting Login Problems” on page 227.
Using the Interplay | Administrator Window
The Interplay Administrator window is divided into six groups: Database, Server, User
Management, Site Settings, Application Settings, and Interplay Services. The name of the
Interplay Engine server you are connected to is displayed in the upper right of the window.
Using the Interplay | Administrator Window
23
Each group contains views for managing components of the Interplay Engine. Each group is
described in a separate section of this guide:
•“Database Settings” on page 26
•“Server Settings” on page 87
•“User Management” on page 105
•“Site Settings” on page 145
•“Application Settings” on page 196
•“Interplay Services” on page 225
Opening an Interplay | Administrator View
24
Opening an Interplay | Administrator View
To open an Interplay Administrator view:
tIn the Interplay Administrator window, click an icon.
The view you select replaces the Interplay Administrator window. Each view includes a path
that shows the relative location of that view. The following illustration shows part of the
Create Database view. In this example, the path shows that the Create Database view is
included in the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window (In the path, the
Interplay Administrator window is represented as the Interplay Server).
To return to the Interplay Administrator window:
tClick the Menu button in the upper left of the view.
Opening Interplay | Production Help
The Interplay Production Help system is installed when you install the Interplay Engine. The
Interplay Help system provides all user and administrator information that is contained in the
Interplay manuals. The Interplay Administrator Help menu provides five entry points: one for
the Welcome screen and four that correspond to four Interplay applications:
• Interplay Administration Help
• Interplay Production Services Help
• Interplay Transfer Help
• Interplay Installation Help
You can access the entire Help system, including the Search and Index tabs, from any of those
entry points.
To access Interplay Production Help:
tSelect Help, and then select the desired application.
Exiting the Interplay Administrator
25
tSelect Documentation Website on Server.
The Interplay Production User Information Center page opens. You can open the Help, PDF
versions of the Interplay user guides, and other useful links. See “Viewing Help and
Documentation on the Interplay Production Portal” on page 13
Exiting the Interplay Administrator
When you are finished using the Interplay Administrator, you should log out or close the
application. Logging out can be convenient if you want to log in to a different database.
To log out:
tClick the Log out button in the upper right of the Interplay Administrator window.
The application remains open, with the login screen displayed.
To close the Interplay Administrator, do one of the following:
tSelect File > Exit.
tClick the close button in the upper right of the window.
The Interplay Administrator window closes.
2Database Settings
The Database settings allow you to create, configure, and manage the Interplay database. The
following topics describe how to use these settings:
•Creating an Interplay Database
•Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files
•Creating and Restoring Database Backups
•Performing a Consistency Check
•Viewing Database Information
•Locking and Unlocking Databases
•Managing Databases: Deactivating, Activating, and Migrating
•Moving a Database to Another Server (Non-Clustered Systems)
•Moving a Database and Users to Another Server (Non-Clustered Systems)
•Moving a Database to Another Server (Clustered Systems)
•Moving a Database and Users to Another Server (Clustered Systems)
•Moving a Database Under Low Disk Space Conditions
•Renaming a Database
•Running Database Maintenance Tools
Creating an Interplay Database
The Create Database view lets you name and create a new Interplay database. You need to create
an Interplay database after you install the Interplay Engine and Interplay Access software.
cAvid supports only one database for each Interplay Engine. The database must be named
AvidWG, or for an Archive Engine database, AvidAM.
The root folder for a new database is set during the installation of the Interplay Engine software.
By default, the installation program creates one shared folder for both the metadata database and
the source files for file assets (the file repository). The default location is the
D:\Workgroup_Databases folder (or S:\Workgroup_Databases on a cluster system). This folder
is represented by the administrative share name WG_Database$. The $ indicates a hidden share.
Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files
27
nTo identify the actual folder, open a Command Prompt window and type
net share
.
To create an Interplay database:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Create Database
icon.
The Create Database view opens.
2. In the New Database Information area, leave the default “AvidWG” in the Database Name
text box. For an archive database, leave the default “AvidAM.” These are the only two
supported database names.
3. Type a description for the database in the Description text box, such as “Main Production
Server.”
4. Select “Create default Avid Interplay structure.”
After the database is created, a set of default folders within the database are visible in
Interplay Access and other Interplay clients. For more information about these folders, see
the Interplay Access User’s Guide.
5. Keep the root folder for the New Database Location (Meta Data).
The metadata database must reside on the Interplay Engine server.
6. Keep the root folder for the New Data Location (Assets).
7. Click Create to create directories and files for the database.
The Interplay database is created. For information about the folders and files that compose
the database, see “Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files” on page 27.
Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files
When the Interplay Engine creates a database, it creates a set of directories and files in the
locations you specified in the Create Database view (see “Creating an Interplay Database” on
page 26).
The Interplay Engine also creates a user database, which is located on the server that you
designated as the Central Configuration Server during the installation (see “Understanding the
Central Configuration Server” on page 105).
Database File Structure
The database file structure is based on the administrative share that was set during the Interplay
Engine installation. By default, this administrative share is named WG_Database$ and is
associated with the folder D:\Workgroup_Databases (S:\Workgroup_Databases for cluster
systems). The “$” indicates a hidden share. To identify the actual folder, open a Command
Prompt window and type
net share
.
Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files
28
This folder contains either the AvidWG or the AvidAM folder. If the server is functioning as the
Central Configuration server, the folder also includes the _InternalData folder. The following
table describes these folders:
Database Folders and Files
The following table lists the folders that are included in the AvidWG or AvidAM folders. During
normal work, users or administrators do not need to work directly with these folders and files.
All access for normal work is through Interplay products. You need to work with these files
when splitting a database or possibly when troubleshooting a problem.
cYou should exclude the _Database and _PropertyStore folders of each database from any
kind of virus checking because virus checking tools might try to lock the database files).
Database Description
_Internal Data User database: Contains Central Configuration Server information such as
users and roles.
AvidWG Interplay Engine database: Contains metadata for Avid assets and file
assets, and source files for file assets.
AvidAM Interplay Archive Engine database: Contains archived metadata for Avid
assets and file assets, and source files for file assets.
Database Directories and Files
Directory or File Directory or File Description
_Database The main database directory, which contains database files and the
database journal. These files contain the database structure and all
metadata. All files within this folder contain binary information and
cannot be viewed or edited with a text editor.
_Master The main data directory, which contains the source files for file assets that
are managed by the database (the file repository). This directory contains
source files for all versions of the file assets.
nSource files for Avid assets are always stored in Avid media folders
on shared storage.
Handover Directories:
_Import, _CheckIn,
_PropertyHandover,
_Handover
Whenever a file is copied from the client to the server, the file is first
copied into one of these directories, depending on what operation (check
in, import, and so on) was performed. The server then moves the file from
these handover directories into the _Master directory.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
29
Maximum Number of Characters for Clip Names, Folders, and Files
Avid recommends adhering to a best practice of a 255 character limit for clip names. While it is
technically possible for clip names to be longer, folders and files are hard set at this 255
maximum and using it as a guideline may be easier to enforce over time across staff or teams.
Maximum Number of Characters in Interplay Path
The maximum number of characters you can have in a path on the Interplay Engine is 32,767,
based on the Windows operating system limit.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
There are two basic approaches to backing up an Interplay database:
• Using a combination of backups scheduled through the Interplay Administrator (automatic
backups) and manual backups of other parts of the database. This approach should be used
as part of a regular backup strategy.
• Using a professional backup tool to do a complete backup to offline media. This backup
should include both the Interplay backup and the folders that Interplay backup process does
not include.
Creating a complete copy of the complete database using Robocopy or 7-Zip is useful before
doing a major system upgrade. These tools can be used in place of a professional backup
tool. However, keep in mind that performance and stability might suffer.
_PropertyStore The database directory that contains files holding the contents of streamed
properties. Streamed properties include metadata about Avid assets, such
as head frames and AAF information.
_Backup The data folder that contains backup versions of the database that are
created through the automated backup process (see “Scheduling
Automatic Database Backups” on page 35).
AvidWG.pro, AvidAM.pro A cookie file representing the database. It contains no vital information,
but it is needed to activate a deactivated database (see “Activating a
Deactivated Database” on page 65).
Folderlocations.xml A file that informs the server about the location of the _Database directory.
_Buckets Not currently used.
Database Directories and Files (Continued)
Directory or File Directory or File Description
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
30
The following topics provide information about creating and restoring database backups:
•“Types of Interplay Administrator Backups” on page 30
•“Recommendations for Backup Configuration” on page 31
•“Scheduling Automatic Database Backups” on page 35
•“Setting the Number of Database Backups to Keep” on page 34
•“Starting a Backup Manually” on page 39
•“Using an Archiving Tool for Backup” on page 39
•“Restoring an Earlier Version of a Database” on page 41
•“Performing a Partial Restore of an Interplay Production Database” on page 52
•“Creating a Metadata-Only Backup for Customer Support” on page 56
Types of Interplay Administrator Backups
The Interplay Administrator lets you run create two different kinds of metadata backups: a
Complete metadata backup and a Fast metadata backup. You can schedule backups to run
automatically or you can run a backup manually. The following table describes the different
types of backups.
Backup Type Description
Complete (Full) backup Creates copies of database files in the _Database folder and streamed
properties files in the _PropertyStore folder. Streamed properties include
metadata about Avid assets, such as head frames and AAF information.
This is the preferred backup.
Fast backups:
- Incremental Creates copies of database files and streamed properties files that were
added to the database since the last Complete Backup, the last Incremental
Backup, or the last Differential Backup.
- Differential Creates copies of database files and streamed properties files that were
added to the database since the last Complete Backup. In most cases, this
backup takes longer to perform than an Incremental backup.
- Metadata Only (Manual backup only) Creates copies of database files in the _Database
folder, but not streamed properties files in the _PropertyStore folder. This
type of Fast backup is less useful than an Incremental or Differential
backup. See “Starting a Backup Manually” on page 39.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
31
cThe _PropertyStore folder is critical if you need to completely restore Av id as sets. Avi d
recommends that you schedule a Complete backup once a week and a Fast backup (either
Incremental or Differential) daily.
For information on how to restore a database, see “Restoring a Complete Backup or a Fast
Backup” on page 43.
Recommendations for Backup Configuration
Automatic backups, as scheduled through the Interplay Administrator, do not back up the entire
database, so they are only one component of a complete backup strategy.
The following table lists the different types of backups needed to completely back up the
Interplay database. For an Interplay archive, substitute AvidAM for AvidWG.
This type of manual backup might involve tape backup or another kind of backup process.
cThe _Master folder, which holds source files for file assets, is not included in the automatic
backup, which includes only metadata. It must be backed up by another backup method
regularly. Also be aware that the automatic backup process does not back up Avid media
files on shared storage workspaces.
Type of Backup Folders or Files Backed Up
Fast Metadata Only backup AvidWG\_Database
Complete (Full) backup
Fast Incremental backup
Fast Differential backup
AvidWG\_Database
AvidWG\_PropertyStore
Automatic Full Backup WG_Database$\_InternalData
This folder is automatically backed up once a week
at 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Manual backup AvidWG\_Master
AvidWG\AvidWG.pro
AvidWG\FolderLocations.xml
See “Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files” on
page 27 for descriptions of these folders and files. It
is not necessary to back up AvidWG\_Backup
unless you want to make a backup of automated
backups. Other folders in AvidWG do not need to
be backed up because they are temporary folders
that are automatically recreated.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
32
It is extremely important to use the automatic backup process available through the
Interplay Administrator instead of just a tape backup for backing up the _Database and
_PropertyStore folders. Tape backups can be:
• Inconsistent: A tape backup of the _Database folder while the server is running can lead to
inconsistent backup files because the server might not have applied all the transactions to the
database yet.
• Inconvenient: Because it is not safe to make tape backups of the _Database folder while the
server is running, the server must be completely shut down during tape backup, causing
inconvenience.
• Unpredictable and dangerous: The backup might lock the database files. This prevents the
server from reading and writing those files. The database could become damaged.
Automatic backup ensures database consistency.
Recommended Backup Configuration
Avid recommends the following backup configuration:
•Enable a daily Interplay database backup. The backup should be set to run once daily at
night, when the server is not being used or usage is lowest. See “Scheduling Automatic
Database Backups” on page 35.
•Decide whether to schedule the daily backup as a Complete backup or Fast backup. If
you have a very large database, you can save time by scheduling a Fast backup daily and a
Complete backup every few days. However, keep in mind that a Complete backup is needed
to restore Avid assets. Because Complete backups can affect system performance, schedule
Complete backups when the server is not being used or when usage is lowest. See “Types of
Interplay Administrator Backups” on page 30.
•Check the “number of backups to keep” setting. The Interplay Engine always keeps the
last Complete backup and any later Fast backups. If you want to keep more than one
Complete backup, change the “number of Backups to keep” setting to be larger than the
number of scheduled Fast backups. For more information, see “Setting the Number of
Database Backups to Keep” on page 34.
•Determine where to store the automatic backups. By default, the _Backup folder is
located in the Workgroup_Databases folder. Depending on the size of the database, you
might need to change the location to store backups. If you select a custom location, you can
rename the folder from _Backup to another name.
Non-cluster systems: The default path is
- D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup
Storing backups on shared storage is an acceptable configuration, as a custom location.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
33
nPrior to Interplay Engine v1.2.4, storing backups on shared storage was not recommended
because of the large number of small files included in the backup. However, the backup
mechanism included with Interplay Engine v1.2.4 or later significantly reduces the number of
files created in the _PropertyStore folder, which reduces the amount of storage required.
Alternatively, you can store the backups on an external file server. You need to use a UNC
path when you specify the location. Make sure the Server Execution User has read/write
access to this external file server and the backup folder. See “Troubleshooting the Server
Execution User Account” on page 230.
Cluster systems: The default path is
- S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup
On cluster systems, Avid recommends that you specify \\?\d:\backup as the path for
Interplay backups. (This syntax, with a question mark, is known as a Long UNC or UNCW
path, and allows for more characters than the 260-character limitation of the short UNC
path.) This path will create backups on the local drive of the active node, rather than the
Infortrend, thus avoiding a single point of failure.
nSR2400 systems were shipped with 73 GB drives, which are too small for regular backups. These
systems should be upgraded to include larger drives.
•Ensure that the backups are working and actually creating backups. To test the backup,
check that the backup subfolders databasename_date_time are being created at the specified
times (according to the backup configuration) and that these subfolders are not empty. Every
backup should create its own subfolder.
For example, on a non-cluster system, your backup folders might be created in the following
location:
- D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup
A backup subfolder might be named AvidWG_2007-05-22_03-00.
•Enable a different backup mechanism, such as tape backup, for all folders except the
_Database and _PropertyStore folders (see the table at the beginning of this topic). The
_Master folder of each database is the most important for the tape backup. Do not include
the _Database and _PropertyStore folders of each database in the tape backup.
•After a Complete backup, copy the backup folder to offline media to prevent data loss.
You can do this as a separate step or as part of a backup of the complete database to offline
media (see the next bullet). Use a backup tool (such as Robocopy or 7-Zip) that can handle
long path names and does not use excessive bandwidth, to avoid slowing down activity on
the Interplay Engine. (See “Using an Archiving Tool for Backup” on page 39).
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
34
•Perform a backup of the complete database to offline media. Avid recommends a
complete backup to offline media using a professional backup tool. Archive tools such as
Robocopy or 7-Zip are useful before doing a major system upgrade. They can be used in
place of a professional backup tool. However, performance and stability might suffer.
•If you schedule a regular restart of the engine, set it after the regular backup is created.
If you restart the Interplay Engine, you cannot create a backup until at least one client
connects to the engine. This could be a problem if you schedule a restart and backup at a
time when there is little or not activity, such as the middle of the night.
cThe _Database and _PropertyStore folders of each database should be excluded from any
kind of virus checking (virus checking tools might try to lock the database files).
Setting the Number of Database Backups to Keep
The Interplay Engine always keeps the last Complete backup and any later Fast backups. If you
want to keep more than one Complete backup, change the “number of Backups to keep” setting
to be larger than the number of scheduled Fast backups. The default setting is 10.
The number of backups to keep includes Complete and Fast backups. After the Interplay Engine
finishes a Complete backup, it checks the number of backups in the _Backup folder. If the
number of backups to keep is exceeded, the Interplay Engine deletes the extra backups regardless
of backup type (Complete or Fast), starting with the oldest. In this way, there is always at least
one Complete Backup available.
Keeping More Than One Complete Backup
If you want to keep more than one complete backup, you must carefully calculate the number of
backups to keep. For example, if you schedule Complete backups once a week and schedule Fast
backups on the other 6 days, the number of backups to keep must be at least 8 (2 Complete
backups and 6 Fast backups). If the number of backups to keep is less than 8, on the day of the
Complete backup the Interplay Engine will delete the second-to-last Complete backup.
The following illustration shows Complete backups on Sundays and Fast backups on the other
days of the week. On Sunday the 8th, after finishing a Complete backup, the Interplay Engine
checks the number of backups. Because the number of backups to keep is 8, it keeps the
Complete backup performed on Sunday the 1st, the 6 Fast backups, and the last Complete
backup.
Sun Mon Wed
Tue Thu Fri Sat Sun
12345678
CCFF FFFF
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
35
In the same example, the Interplay Engine does not check the number of backups again until it
performs a Complete backup on Sunday the 15th. On that day, it deletes the 7 oldest backups,
leaving 8. The following illustration shows the 7 oldest backups deleted.
nIf you check the _Backup folder before the Interplay Engine finishes a Complete backup, it is
possible for the _Backup folder to contain more than the specified number of backups to keep.
Scheduling Automatic Database Backups
The Backups view in the Interplay Administrator lets you schedule the type and frequency of
your automatic backups. You can schedule two kinds of backups: Complete and Fast. You can
schedule one of two different Fast backups: Incremental or Differential. For a description of the
different types of backups, see “Types of Interplay Administrator Backups” on page 30.
The Interplay Engine performs an automatic backup without locking or shutting down the server,
and users can continue to work with the database. During a backup operation, all actions on the
engine are cached to ensure a fully consistent backup. As a result, the performance of the
Interplay Engine is slower. You should not schedule large-scale deletions during a backup
operation.
When a backup is in progress, status messages are displayed at the top of the view.
Sun Mon Wed
Tue Thu Fri Sat Sun
12345678
CCFF FFFF
Mon Wed
Tue Thu Fri Sat Sun
9 101112131415
CFF FFFF
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
36
The Backup History section displays incremental and differential backups up to the last
successful complete backup. Administrators can use this as a troubleshooting tool to see if the
last backup was successful and if not, which backups have failed. It also can be used to view
which incremental and differential backups are required for the most recent full restore. This
display does not necessarily match the backups stored in the _Backup folder.
Automatic backups create copies of metadata files, but do not create copies of the assets. You
need to use a different process, such as tape backup, to back up your assets, as described in
“Recommendations for Backup Configuration” on page 31.
cOnly _Database and _PropertyStore are backed up through the Interplay Administrator
backup process. Other directories, such as _Master, need to be backed up through a
different process.
cThe _PropertyStore folder is critical if you need to completely restore Av id as sets. Avi d
recommends that you schedule a Complete backup once a week and a Fast backup (either
Incremental or Differential) daily.
By default, backups are stored in the following folder:
\\InterplayEngine\workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup
You can specify another location, including shared storage. Make sure the Server Execution User
has read/write access this location. For more information, see “Recommendations for Backup
Configuration” on page 31.
For information on restoring a database, see “Restoring a Complete Backup or a Fast Backup”
on page 43.
To schedule database backups:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Backups icon.
The Backups view opens.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
37
2. In the list on the left side of the view, select the database for which you want to view or
specify automatic backup settings. The current settings are displayed.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
38
3. (Option) In the Backup Information area, change your preferences if necessary.
“Backup only if modified” is selected by default to save space and avoid duplicate identical
copies. The default number of versions to keep is 10. The Interplay Engine always keeps the
last Complete backup and later Fast backups. For more information, see “Recommendations
for Backup Configuration” on page 31.
4. (Option) In the Backup Location preference, select Custom to change the default backup
location.
The custom location must be specified as a UNC path. You can also change the name of the
folder from _Backup to another name. See “Recommendations for Backup Configuration”
on page 31.
5. (Option) In the Fast Metadata Backup area, select “Fast Metadata Backup Enabled”
(disabled by default).
6. (Option) If Fast Metadata Backup is enabled, you can change the Fast backup frequency.
The default is set to Daily. You can select any number of days on which you would like to
perform Fast backups or you can set a Fast backup for one day a month.
7. (Option) If Fast Metadata Backup is enabled, you can change the Fast backup time by doing
one of the following:
- Select Once at and change the hour and minutes (within 10 minute intervals) on which it
occurs using the up and down arrows.
- Select Every and set the backup to occur at regular intervals starting at midnight. Use
the down arrow to select the interval.
- Select Custom and specify custom backup times. Use the up and down arrows to select
the time, and then select Add. Repeat to add more times to perform the backup. Select a
time and then Remove to cancel a backup.
The Backup time is the Interplay Engine server's local time.
8. In the Complete Metadata Backup area, make sure the option “Complete Metadata Backup
Enabled” is selected (default).
Avid recommends that you schedule a Complete backup once a week.
9. (Option) Change the Complete backup frequency. Because Complete backups can take a
long time and affect system performance, Avid recommends that you perform Complete
backups when the server is not being used or when usage is lowest. The default is set to
Sunday. You can select any number of days you would like to perform Complete backups.
10. (Option) Change the Backup time by selecting one of the following:
tSelect Once at and change the hour and minutes (within 10 minute intervals) on which it
occurs using the up and down arrows.
tSelect Every and set the backup to occur at regular intervals starting at midnight. Use
the down arrow to select the interval.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
39
tSelect Custom and specify custom backup times. Use the up and down arrows to select
the time, and then click Add. Repeat to add more times to perform the backup. Select a
time and click Remove to cancel a backup.
11. Click the Apply Changes button.
Starting a Backup Manually
You can start an Interplay Administrator backup manually, rather than waiting for a scheduled
automatic backup or changing the existing backup schedules.
To start a backup manually:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Backups icon.
The Backups view opens.
2. In the list on the left side of the view, select the database for which you want to view or
specify automatic backup settings. The current settings are displayed.
3. At the top of the view, click the “Start Backup Now” button.
nYou can also manually back up the user database on the Central Configuration Server (CCS)
from this view. Click Start CCS (_InternalData) Backup Now.
4. Select the kind of backup you want to create. For a description of the different types of
backups, see “Types of Interplay Administrator Backups” on page 30.
5. Click OK
The backup is created in the location you specified. If you navigate to the location, and the
backup is still being created, the folder name includes the words “backup in progress.”
Using an Archiving Tool for Backup
In some circumstances, such as performing a system upgrade, you might want to use an archive
tool to create a backup copy of the complete database folder (AvidWG or AvidAM) and the user
database folder (_InternalData). For information on the location and contents of the databases,
see “Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files” on page 27.
If you create a backup archive, keep in mind that a complete backup can take several hours,
during which the Interplay database is locked and deactivated. Also, you need to use a backup
tool that can handle long path names (longer than 256 characters). For example, use Robocopy
(contained in rktools.exe, available on Microsoft.com) or 7-Zip (an open source utility) to create
the archive. You can save backup time by removing old backups from the _Backup folder.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
40
To make a backup copy of the database on a non-cluster system:
1. Open the Interplay Administration tool.
2. Use the following steps to lock the database:
a. Click Lock/Unlock Databases.
b. Select the database in the Unlocked Databases list.
c. Click Lock Database.
3. Click Menu and click Manage Databases.
4. Select the AvidWG database and click Deactivate. Select AvidAM for an Archive Engine.
5. Click Menu and click the Restart Server view.
6. Click Restart Server and close the Interplay Administration tool.
7. Use a backup tool to make a copy of the following folders and record their location. The
following table shows the default locations.
To make a backup copy of the database on a cluster system:
1. Open the Interplay Administration tool.
2. Use the following steps to lock the database:
a. Click Lock/Unlock Databases.
b. Select the database in the Unlocked Databases list.
c. Click Lock Database.
3. Click Menu and click Manage Databases.
4. Select the AvidWG database and click Deactivate. Select AvidAM for an Archive Engine.
5. Close the Interplay Administration tool.
6. Click Start and select Programs > Administrative Tools > Cluster Administrator.
7. Open the Groups folder.
8. Select the Avid Workgroup Server group.
Interplay Engine or Interplay Archive Engine
Folder Name Default Location
AvidWG (Interplay Engine database)
AvidAM (Archive Engine database)
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidAM
_InternalData (user database if engine is a
Central Configuration Server)
D:\Workgroup_Databases\_InternalData
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
41
9. Select the Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor resource and take it offline.
10. If you performed the previous step correctly, drive S: should still be accessible within the
Windows environment. If it is not available, use the Cluster Administration tool to put drive
S: online by clicking on the disk resource within the “Avid Workgroup Server Group” and
selecting online.
11. Use a backup tool to make a copy of the following folders and record their location.
nOn cluster systems, Avid recommends that you specify \\?\d:\backup as the path for Interplay
backups. See “Recommendations for Backup Configuration” on page 31.
Restoring an Earlier Version of a Database
Restoring a backup version of the _Database and _PropertyStore folders returns a database to the
state it was in when the backup was created. Before restoring a database, make sure that it is
really necessary, because changes since the backup will be lost.
To restore a backup, you need to run the InterplayRestore tool in a Command Prompt window.
The InterplayRestore tool is installed in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
The tool includes in-line help that describes all options for using the tool.
The following topics provide instructions for restoring an earlier version of a database:
•“Restoring a Complete Backup or a Fast Backup” on page 43
•“Using the InterplayRestore Tool on the Interplay Engine Server” on page 46
•“Database Restore Session Example” on page 48
•“Using the BackupArchive Tool to Restore Files” on page 50
•“Restoring Archived Log Files” on page 52
Interplay Engine or Interplay Archive Engine
Folder Name Default Location
AvidWG (Interplay Engine database)
AvidAM (Archive Engine database)
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidAM
_InternalData (user database if engine is a
Central Configuration Server)
S:\Workgroup_Databases\_InternalData
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
42
You cannot restore parts of a backup, for example, a specific sequence or folder. You can restore
only a Complete backup or a Fast backup.
How the Restore Tool Works with Streamed Properties Files
Beginning with Interplay Engine v1.2.4, the Interplay backup mechanism consolidates the
streamed properties files (all files in the _PropertyStore folder) into large “archive” files. These
files are written into the _PropertyStore folder of the corresponding backup folder. The archive
files are named streamed_propx.bar, where x is replaced with an increasing number starting with
1. The files are about 1 GB each, except for the last one (with the highest suffix number), which
can be smaller. The exact file size varies depending on the size of the individual streamed
property files, because a single streamed property file is never split up between two .bar files.
The backup mechanism also writes a file named streamed_prop.bin in the same folder. This file
contains a directory of all streamed property files contained in the backup and is used only by the
BackupArchive tool (see “Using the BackupArchive Tool to Restore Files” on page 50). The .bin
file is not required by the InterplayRestore tool.
The InterplayRestore tool is able to work with both the consolidated streamed property files as
well as a backup created by an earlier version of the Interplay Engine. The tool looks for the
streamed_prop1.bar file in the _PropertyStore folder of the backup. If this file does not exist, it
assumes that the backup was created by an earlier version of the engine and resumes with the
restore procedure in the same way as earlier versions of the restore tool. Otherwise, it restores the
streamed properties from the consolidated .bar files.
How the Restore Tool Renames Folders
When the tool begins the restore, it locks the database and then renames the existing folder
_Database to _Database.1. If you are performing a restore from a Complete backup, the tool also
renames _PropertyStore to _PropertyStore.1.
If a folder _Database.1 already exists, the tool creates _Database.2, and so on up to _Database.9.
The tool uses the first free number between 1 and 9 when it renames the _Database and
_PropertyStore folders. If no number is free, you need to delete some of the previously renamed
folders so that the tool can run.
If the backup restore is not completed (if you kill the process, if the system crashes, if you get an
error message, and so on), you can restore the system to its previous state by deleting the
_Database folder (and possibly the _PropertyStore folder) that the tool created and renaming
_Database.1 to _Database (and _PropertyStore.1 to _PropertyStore).
After you verify that the backup ran successfully and your database is working correctly, you can
save storage space by deleting the numbered backup folders ( _Database.x and _PropertyStore.x)
created during the restore process.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
43
Restoring a Complete Backup or a Fast Backup
To restore a database, you need to restore a Complete backup, a Fast backup, or both, depending
on the type of backups available. (see “Types of Interplay Administrator Backups” on page 30
for a description of each type of backup).
• A Complete backup contains a _Database folder and a _PropertyStore folder. A Complete
backup is needed if the complete database needs to be restored, for example, if a hard disk
crashes.
• A Fast Incremental Backup and a Fast Differential Backup also contain a _Database folder
and a _PropertyStore folder. If you restore a Differential or Incremental backup, all backups
it depends on must be in the same backup location.
The following backups must be in the same folder:
- For a Differential backup, the last Complete backup before the backup you are restoring.
- For an Incremental backup, the last Complete backup and the necessary Incremental or
Differential backups between the last Complete backup and the backup you are
restoring.
You do not need all backups between the last Complete backup and the backup you are
restoring. You need the most recent Complete backup, the most recent Differential
backup (if any), and any Incremental backups since the last Complete or Differential
backup.
For example, if a sequence of backups looks like this: c(complete)1 -> i(incremental)1
-> i2 -> d(differential)1 -> i3 -> i4 -> d2 -> i5 -> i6, to restore i6 the backups you need
in the same folder are c1, d2, i5, and i6. You need these files because i6 contains the
changes since i5, which contains the changes since d2, which contains the changes since
c1.
• A Fast Metadata Only backup contains only a _Database folder, and can only be run
manually. A Fast Metadata Only backup is limited in its usefulness. You can use it to restore
the database structure if it becomes corrupted, but it does not restore the contents of the
_PropertyStore folder. To restore the contents of the _PropertyStore folder, you need to
restore the most recent Complete backup, Incremental backup, or Differential backup, as
described above.
The InterplayRestore tool automatically identifies the type of backup that you select.
nEarlier versions of the Interplay Engine did not delete streamed properties from the
_PropertyStore folder until the next Complete backup was performed. Starting with Interplay
Engine v3.0, streamed properties are deleted immediately on deletion request unless there is an
active backup. In this case, the deletion takes place after the next Complete backup.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
44
Distinguishing Between Types of Backups
To distinguish between a Fast Metadata Only backup and the other types of backups, open the
backup folder and check if a _PropertyStore folder exists. A Fast Metadata Only backup does not
contain a _PropertyStore folder.dd
To distinguish between Complete, Fast Incremental, and Fast Differential backups, open the
backup folder and then open the inventory.xml file in Notepad or another text editor. The type of
backup is listed, along with other information.
Fast Metadata Only
backup folder
Complete,
Fast Incremental, or
Fast Differential
backup folder
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
45
Example of a Complete Restore Process
Imagine that you have a backup schedule of a Complete backup on Saturday and a Fast
Differential backup every other day of the week. If there is a failure on Friday in which the
_Database folder, the _PropertyStore folder, and other Interplay folders are lost or corrupted, you
need to perform the following steps:
1. Use the InterplayRestore tool to restore the latest Fast Differential backup (from Thursday).
2. To add metadata missing from the _PropertyStore folder, check in bins created for projects
since the Thursday backup.
3. Use the InterplayRestore tool to restore the _InternalData folder.
4. Restore the _Master folder and other folders through whatever mechanism you use for
backup.
5. Resynchronize media files with shared storage workspaces. In Interplay Access, right-click
the database name and select Resync. For more information, see “Resyncing Media Files
with Avid Shared-Storage Workspaces” in the Interplay Access User’s Guide or the
Interplay Access Help.
Fast Incremental
backup type
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
46
Using the InterplayRestore Tool on the Interplay Engine Server
To restore a backup, you need to run the InterplayRestore tool in a Command Prompt window.
There are two ways to run the tool:
• Without parameters, in which case the tool prompts you for the necessary entries (interactive
mode).
• With parameters, in which case the tool runs without prompting, depending on the number
of parameters included. You can use these parameters to create a batch file that partially
automates the restore process.
nYou can use the InterplayRestore tool to restore the AvidAM or the _InternalData folder. In the
following procedure, substitute AvidAM or _InternalData for AvidWG.
To restore an earlier version of a database from a backup using interactive mode:
1. On the Interplay Engine server, click Programs and select Accessories > Command Prompt.
2. At the command line, navigate to the folder that contains InterplayRestore. For example,
type:
cd C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
and press Enter.
3. Type:
InterplayRestore
and press Enter.
4. InterplayRestore prompts you for the database root directory. Type the path and press Enter.
You can use a local path or a UNC path. For example:
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG
You can use the administrative share name WG_Database$ only in a UNC path.
5. The next prompt asks if you are restoring a split database configuration.
If you answer yes, the next prompt asks you to enter the Interplay database asset path, which
is the path to the AvidWG folder on shared storage. Enter a UNC path, for example:
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG\
nSplit databases are no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
6. At the next prompt, type the backup home directory and press Enter. For example:
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
47
If you are working with a split database, this location is probably on the shared storage
server. For example:
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG\_Backup
7. At the next prompt, select the correct backup from the numbered list of available backups.
Complete backups are labeled “full” and Fast backups are labeled “increment” “difference,”
or “metadataonly.” After you select the backup, press Enter.
The restore process begins. For an example of the process, see “Database Restore Session
Example” on page 48. At the end of the process, a message informs you that you need to
restore the _Master directory manually.
8. Restore your _Master folder through whatever mechanism you use for backup.
nThe _Master database is not backed up by the automated backup feature of Interplay. See
“Recommendations for Backup Configuration” on page 31.
9. Unlock the database by using the Lock/Unlock Database view in the Interplay
Administrator.
10. Check to make sure you can access the restored database from Interplay Access, and that
you can preview clip headframes.
11. Delete the _Database.1 and _PropertyStore.1 directories, or whatever numbered backup
directories were created through the restore process. See “Restoring an Earlier Version of a
Database” on page 41.
To restore an earlier version of a database from a backup by passing parameters to the
tool, do one of the following:
tFor a non-split database, navigate to the folder that holds InterplayRestore, type the
following, and press Enter:
InterplayRestore /m <database metadata root dir> /backupdir <database
backup dir>
For example:
InterplayRestore /m d:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG
/backupdir d:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup
InterplayRestore prompts you to choose from a numbered list of available backups and then
restores the earlier version. Continue with steps 8 through 11 above.
nThe parameter
/m
is a short version of the parameter
/metadata
. You can view information on
the complete syntax for the tool by entering
InterplayRestore /help
.
nBecause the paths for the
/metadata
and
/backupdir
parameters are unlikely to change, you
can create a batch file that includes these values, as in the previous example. To restore the
database, run the batch file and select the number of the backup you want to restore.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
48
nSplit databases are no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
tFor a split database, navigate to the folder that holds InterplayRestore, type the following,
and press Enter:
InterplayRestore /m <database metadata root dir>
/assets <split database asset directory>
/backupdir <database backup dir>
For example:
InterplayRestore /m d:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG
/assets \\isis\workspace1\AvidWG
/backupdir \\isis\workspace1\AvidWG\_Backup
InterplayRestore prompts you to choose from a numbered list of available backups and then
restores the earlier version. Continue with steps 8 through 11 above.
nBecause the paths for the
/metadata
,
/assets
, and
/backupdir
parameters are unlikely to
change, you can create a batch file that includes these values, as in the previous example. To
restore the database, run the batch file and select the number of the backup you want to restore.
tIf you know the specific backup you want to restore, navigate to the folder that holds
InterplayRestore, type the following, and press Enter:
InterplayRestore /m <database metadata root dir> /backupdir <database
backup dir> /backuptorestore <backup folder for restore>
For example:
InterplayRestore /m d:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG
/backupdir d:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup /backuptorestore
d:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup\AvidWG_2007-08-20_01-00
InterplayRestore restores the earlier version. Continue with steps 8 through 11 above.
Database Restore Session Example
The following is an example of an interactive session, which begins with the command for
starting the InterplayRestore tool.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
49
nSplit databases are no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
C:\>”C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server\InterplayRestore”
********************************************************************
InterplayRestore - Restore Interplay databases from backup
A non interactive mode is also available.
Run "InterplayRestore.exe /?" for help
Enter the Interplay database root or metadata directory:
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG
Is this a split database configuration? <y/n> y
Enter the Interplay database asset path: \\isis\workspace1\AvidWG
Enter the backup root directory: \\isis\workspace1\AvidWG\_Backup
Choose a backup to restore from:
[1] Tuesday, June 10, 2010 3:05:00 AM full
[2] Thursday, June 12, 2010 3:04:00 AM increment
[3] Friday, June 13, 2010 3:05:00 AM full
[4] Saturday, June 14, 2010 3:00:00 AM full
Choose an entry ( 1 - 4 ):
Assume you choose 1. The tool locks the project so that no one can access the database and then
copies the files:
Beginning restore from
\\isis\workspace1\avidwg\_Backup\AvidWG_2010-06-10_03-05\
This is a Full backup
Restoring split database. Metadata restored to
d:\Workgroup_Databases\avidwg\. PropertyStore Assets restored to
\\isis\workspace1\avidwg
Locked project AvidWG
Copying files into d:\Workgroup_Databases\avidwg\_Database
Copying file AvidWG.dor
...
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
50
It leaves the database locked and gives you the following message:
Database AvidWG is still locked because you need to restore _Master
manually, or through your existing tape backup mechanism.
When you are done restoring _Master, use the Lock/Unlock Database view in
Interplay Administrator to unlock the AvidWG database. This will complete
your restore operation.
Using the BackupArchive Tool to Restore Files
The BackupArchive tool is a command-line program that lets you work with files contained in
the _PropertyStore folder contained in a database backup. The _PropertyStore folder holds
streamed properties, which are files that include metadata about Avid assets, such as headframes
and AAF information. The streamed property files are backed up (as an archive) in one or more
.bar files in the _PropertyStore backup folder. For more information about .bar files, see
“Restoring an Earlier Version of a Database” on page 41.
You can use the BackupArchive tool to display a list of all streamed properties files in the
_PropertyStore backup folder. You can also use it in an emergency situation in which the online
database is missing and the backup file is corrupt. In this case, you would use the tool to extract
as many files as possible from the corrupt backup. It is not a replacement for the
InterplayRestore tool.
For example, the following illustration shows the contents of the 0-1999 subfolder in the active
_PropertyStore folder on the Interplay Engine:
The following illustration shows the corresponding files as they appear in the archive file
\AvidWG\_Backup\AvidWG_2008-05-04_01-00\_PropertyStore\streamed_prop1.bar:
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
51
The .bar file is a file that you can only open by using the BackupArchive tool.
nIn previous versions of Interplay, you could use Windows Explorer to view and work with the
streamed properties files in the _PropertyStore backup folder. Because the current backup
mechanism uses archive files, you need this tool to view and work with files in the _PropertyStore
backup folder.
The following procedures describe how to view a list of streamed properties, how to unpack an
archive, and how to extract specific files. If you need to restore the streamed properties to a
database in an emergency situation, contact Avid support.
The complete syntax for using the BackupArchive tool is provided in the in-line help, which you
can display by typing
BackupArchive
in a Command Prompt window.
To list all streamed properties files in an archive file:
1. On the Interplay Engine, click Programs and select Accessories > Command Prompt.
2. At the command line, navigate to the folder that contains the BackupArchive tool.
For example, type the following and press Enter:
cd C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
3. Type the following and press Enter:
backuparchive /L <archive>
Do not use the file extension when typing the name of the archive file. For example,
backuparchive /L
\\docisis\workspace3\AvidWG\_Backup\AvidWG_2008-05-04_01-00\_PropertySt
ore\streamed_prop
Make sure to type the command on a single line.
nTo direct the output of this command to a text file for easier review, add
>textfile.txt
to the
end of the command.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
52
To unpack all streamed properties files:
tType the following and press Enter:
backuparchive /U <archive> <destination folder>
Do not use the file extension when typing the name of the archive file. For example, the
following command unpacks all property store files into a temporary folder on the Interplay
Engine:
backuparchive /U
\\docisis\workspace3\AvidWG\_Backup\AvidWG_2008-05-04_01-00\_PropertySt
ore\streamed_prop D:\Workgroup_Databases\TempPropertyStore
Make sure to type the command on a single line.
To extract and restore specific streamed properties files:
tType the following and press Enter:
backuparchive /E /P:<pattern> <archive> <destination folder>
Do not use the file extension when typing the name of the archive file. To define a pattern,
you can use the standard Windows syntax. For example, the following command extracts all
files whose names include Scr (screenshots) into a temporary folder on the Interplay Engine:
backuparchive /E /P:*Scr*
\\docisis\workspace3\AvidWG\_Backup\AvidWG_2008-05-04_01-00\_PropertySt
ore\streamed_prop D:\Workgroup_Databases\TempPropertyStoreScreenshots
Make sure to type the command on a single line.
Restoring Archived Log Files
In Interplay version 1.6 and later, the Interplay Engine compresses and archives log files older
than 7 days. The log compression process runs during project backup. (This process runs at most
once per day, even if multiple backups are scheduled on the same day.) Archive files (with the
extensions .bar and .bin) are stored in the same directory as the log files for 30 days and then are
automatically deleted. You can extract the compressed log files from an archive by using the
BackupArchive tool described in “Using the BackupArchive Tool to Restore Files” on page 50.
Performing a Partial Restore of an Interplay Production Database
Interplay Administrator v3.0 introduces a new option to the InterplayRestore tool that lets you
select an incremental backup to use for the restore process, without restoring the complete
database. Restoring from one or more incremental backups is referred to as a partial restore.
Prior to this release, the InterplayRestore tool always restored the complete database, even if you
selected to restore from an incremental backup. Performing a partial restore can save a
significant amount of time, depending on the size of the database.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
53
nSee the Interplay Engine and Interplay Archive Engine Administration Guide for complete
information about backing up and restoring.
When to Perform a Partial Restore
One example of an effective use of a partial restore is if a facility is replacing its Interplay Engine
with a new server. This is often a gradual process that takes several days. For example, you might
create a database on a new server by performing a complete restore of the existing database on
Monday. You test the system on Tuesday. If all goes well, you perform a partial restore on
Wednesday to add changes that took place in the database since the last complete backup, and
then bring the new server on line.
cMake sure you have performed a full restore of the last complete backup before you
perform a partial restore. A partial restore only restores incremental changes since the last
complete backup.
Selecting from the Backup Chain
When you run the InterplayRestore tool in interactive mode (without command line options), and
select a backup to restore, a backup chain of files is displayed. The backup chain is determined
by the backup you selected to restore. In the following example, you select incremental backup
entry 3. The backup chain lists the last full backup and any subsequent incremental backups.
[1] 04 February 2013 16:00:00 full
[2] 05 February 2013 16:00:00 incremental
[3] 06 February 2013 16:00:00 incremental
[4] 07 February 2013 16:00:00 incremental
Choose an entry ( 1 - 4 ): 3
Backup restore chain
0. Test_2013-02-04_16-00 full
1. Test_2013-02-05_16-00 incremental
2. Test_2013-02-06_16-00 incremental
3. Test_2013-02-07_16-00 incremental
The InterplayRestore tool gives you an option of selecting a partial restore. If you type “y,” you
are asked to select which file in the restore chain from which to start the restore. In the following
example, backup file 1 (Test_2013-02-05_16-00) is selected.
Is this a partial restore (y/n): y
Choose an entry in the restore chain to start from ( 1 - 2 ): 1
You are then asked to select how many entries forward you want to restore:
Choose how many entries to restore ( 1 - 2 ): 2
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
54
In the example, starting with file 1 and selecting two entries mean that the partial restore will be
run from the following files:
1. Test_2013-02-05_16-00 incremental
2. Test_2013-02-06_16-00 incremental
Results of a Partial Restore
If you perform a full backup, the Interplay Engine renames the original _Database and
_PropertyStore folders before the restore procedure, and creates new folders for restored files
during the restore procedure. The resulting files are similar to the following:
_Database
_Database.1
…
_PropertyStore
_PropertyStore.1
where _Database_and PropertyStore are newly restored from backup files, and _Database.1 and
_PropertyStore.1 are renamed original files.
If you perform a partial restore, the Interplay Engine does not rename the original folders.
Instead, it overwrites database files in the _Database folder with latest versions from the restore
chain and merges streamed property files to the existing _PropertyStore folder.
Displaying a Restore Chain
You have the option of displaying the restore chain for a selected backup without performing the
restore. To display the restore chain, use the /printchain option in a interactive or non-interactive
command line, as shown in the following examples:
Non-interactive mode:
InterplayRestore /metadata F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test /backupdir
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_Backup /printchain
Interactive mode:
InterplayRestore /printchain
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
55
In either case, you are asked to choose a backup starting point.
Choose a backup to restore from:
[1] 04 February 2013 16:39:00 full
[2] 04 February 2013 16:42:00 incremental
[3] 04 February 2013 16:44:00 incremental
[4] 24 February 2013 01:00:00 full
Choose an entry ( 1 - 4 ): 3
Backup restore chain
0. Test_2013-02-04_16-39 full
1. Test_2013-02-04_16-42 incremental
2. Test_2013-02-04_16-44 incremental
Example of Partial Restore
The following is an example of an interactive session, which begins with the command for
starting the InterplayRestore tool.
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server>InterplayRestore
**************************************************************************
InterplayRestore - Restore Interplay databases from backup
Entering interactive mode.
A non-interactive mode is also available.
Run "InterplayRestore.exe /help" for help
Enter the Interplay database root or metadata directory:
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test
Is this a split database configuration (y/n): n
Enter the backup root directory: F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_Backup
Choose a backup to restore from:
[1] 04 February 2013 16:39:00 full
[2] 04 February 2013 16:42:00 incremental
[3] 04 February 2013 16:44:00 incremental
[4] 24 February 2013 01:00:00 full
Choose an entry ( 1 - 4 ): 3
Backup restore chain
0. Test_2013-02-04_16-39 full
1. Test_2013-02-04_16-42 incremental
2. Test_2013-02-04_16-44 incremental
Is this a partial restore (y/n): y
Choose an entry in the restore chain to start from ( 1 - 2 ): 1
Choose how many entries to restore ( 1 - 2 ): 2
Project Test already locked
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
56
Restoring to F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\
Beginning restore from
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_Backup\Test_2013-02-04_16-42\
This is a incremental backup
Copying streamed properties...
Opening archive file
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_Backup\Test_2013-02-04_16-42\_PropertyStore\s
treamed_prop1.bar
Extracting file
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_PropertyStore\2013-35\1373_StreamedProperty_A
AFBinary1073743196-1.prp
Verifying that we have all streamed property BAR files...
Beginning restore from
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_Backup\Test_2013-02-04_16-44\
This is a incremental backup
Copying streamed properties...
Opening archive file
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_Backup\Test_2013-02-04_16-44\_PropertyStore\s
treamed_prop1.bar
Extracting file
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_PropertyStore\2013-35\1428_StreamedProperty_A
AFBinary1073743252-0.prp
Extracting file
F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_PropertyStore\2013-35\1436_StreamedProperty_A
AFBinary1073743260-0.prp
Verifying that we have all streamed property BAR files...
Copying files into F:\Workgroup_Databases\Test\_Database
Copying file Test.jdf
...
Restore operation successful
Project Test is still locked for your restore of _Master.
The database is still locked because you need to restore the _Master
directory manually, or through your existing tape backup mechanism.
When you are done restoring _Master, use the Lock/Unlock Database view in
Interplay Administrator to unlock the database. This will complete your
restore operation.
Creating a Metadata-Only Backup for Customer Support
In some support situations, Avid customer support might request a metadata-only backup of your
Interplay Production database. A metadata-only backup creates copies of database files in the
_Database folder, but not streamed properties files in the _PropertyStore folder.
Creating and Restoring Database Backups
57
To create a metadata-only backup file:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Backups icon.
The Backups view opens.
2. In the list on the left side of the view, select the database for which you want to create the
backup. The database is named either AvidWG (Interplay Engine) or AvidAM (Interplay
Archive Engine).
3. At the bottom of the view, click the “Start Backup Now...” button.
4. In the Start Backup dialog box, select Metadata only and click OK.
The backup file is created in specified backup location, for example:
AvidWG\_Backup\AvidWG_2013-02-12_01-00
To distinguish between a metadata-only backup and the other types of backups, open the
backup folder and check if a _PropertyStore folder exists. A metadata-only backup does not
contain a _PropertyStore folder.
5. Use an archive program like 7-Zip to create a compressed file to send to customer support.
Performing a Consistency Check
58
Performing a Consistency Check
The database Consistency Check compares the version of the database or databases on the
master directory with the current database file. The Perform Consistency Check view provides a
useful tool for checking if all references are correct, seeing if all necessary files are on the disk,
and checking other aspects of the database.
cThe Consistency Check is for support purposes. You should perform this check only if
requested by Avid Technical Support.
Viewing Database Information
Use the Database Information view to display information about an Interplay database. This
information includes various statistics and the connected users.
To view the information about a database:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Database
Information icon.
The Database Information view opens. This might take a minute or two, depending on how
long the engine has been running.
Viewing Database Information
59
A summary of information about the database is displayed:
- Engine Start Time: The date and time that the Interplay Engine began running.
- Name and description: Either AvidWG (Interplay Engine) or AvidAM (Interplay
Archive Engine) with a description supplied when the database was first created.
- Root folder for database (Meta Data): See “Creating an Interplay Database” on page 26.
- Root folder for data (Assets): See “Creating an Interplay Database” on page 26.
2. Click one of the following tabs:
- Database Statistics
- Deletion Statistics
- Command Statistics
- Object Statistics
- Connected User Information
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60
For information about these tabs, see “Database Information Tabs” on page 60.
Database Information Tabs
The following sections describe the individual tabs in the Database Information view.
Database Statistics
Statistics in this tab provide information about the number of pages in the database, cache usage,
and how they relate to each other. These statistics are useful in determining database scalability.
For more information, see “Determining Interplay Database Scalability” in the Interplay Best
Practices Guide.
Deletion Statistics
Statistics in this tab provide information about deletion activity.
The time at the top of the tab is the last time information was received from the Interplay Engine
and is automatically updated every minute.
Statistics are divided into two categories:
• Scheduled Deletion Statistics. If the Engine is currently performing a scheduled deletion, the
Current Deletion Slot column shows statistics from the deletion in progress. If the Engine is
not currently performing a scheduled deletion, the column is not displayed.
The third column shows statistics about the last completed scheduled deletion. If there has
not been a scheduled deletion since the last time the Interplay Engine was started, the
column is not displayed.
Statistics in this tab refer to assets that were sent to the Orphan Clips folder as a result of a
scheduled deletion. Statistics are shown for the following parameters:
- Processed Assets: The number of assets in the Orphan Clips folder that the Interplay
Engine processed during the deletion. This process includes examining whether the
assets should be deleted or moved to another folder. This number is usually higher than
other similar statistics. For example, if the deletion is delayed (a setting in the Scheduled
Deletion section of the Delete Behavior view), the Engine examines the assets before a
deletion takes place.
- Deleted Assets: The number of assets in the Orphan Clips folder that were deleted.
- Assets moved to Kept Media: The number of objects moved as a result of the scheduled
deletion.
- Assets moved to Failed to Delete: The number of objects that failed to delete as a result
of the scheduled delete.
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61
- Successfully deleted media files: The number of media files deleted from
shared-storage. Only media files deleted by a scheduled deletion from Orphan Clips are
counted, not media files deleted by the interactive part of a deletion.
- Size of successfully deleted media files. The cumulative size of the successful deletions
in KB, based on information in the Interplay Engine database. This information is not
necessarily the most recent information from the Media Indexer.
• Deletion Statistics Since Last Engine Start: These parameters list cumulative totals since the
last time the Interplay Engine was started. The statistics in this section include deletions
outside of the scheduled deletion slots. for example, media files deleted directly in Interplay
Access. Statistics are shown for the following parameters:
- Failed media files deletions
- Successful media files deletions
- Failed metadata deletions
- Successful metadata deletions
Command Statistics (Engine Search Requests)
The statistics in this tab provide information about commands executed by the Interplay Engine.
Currently the only command included is Search, which is listed as Engine Search Requests.
These commands are search requests made in Access or other clients that are processed by the
Interplay Engine.
Because searches are a common way that users notice a slowdown in Interplay Engine
performance, these statistics can be useful in troubleshooting performance problems.
The time at the top of the tab is the last time information was received from the client and is
automatically updated every minute.
Statistics are shown for the following parameters:
• Period: The ten most recent measurement periods are listed in the Period column. Periods
are a maximum of one minute and are created only if there are search commands executed.
You cannot check statistics for earlier periods.
• Duration: The length of the measurement period, from the finish of the first search until the
finish of the last search in this period. Note that the summary for the Duration column
displays the time from the oldest to the latest measurement period, not a summary of the
Duration periods.
Other parameters are described in the tab.
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62
Object Statistics
Statistics on this tab show totals for objects in the database. This information is not updated until
you open the view again.
• Total number of database objects: A sum of the objects listed below.
• Database objects per database page: This statistic is calculated as
total number of database objects / total number of database pages
• masterclip, sequence, subclip, group, motioneffect, effect, renderedeffect: the number of
these object types.
• filemob: the number of file locations that are known to the Engine, regardless of online or
offline status. Matches the files listed in the File Locations tab in Interplay Access.
• avid asset (in browse tree): the number of links or representations visible in the database
tree.
• folder: the number of folders in the database, both those visible in the database tree and
those not visible in the database tree.
• user: the number of users in the database.
• other objects: additional versions of sequences, internal database management objects, and
file assets
Connected User Information
Statistics on this tab show information about each user currently connected to the Interplay
Engine. This information is not updated until you open the view again. This information is also
displayed in the Server Information view. For more information, see “Viewing Server
Information” on page 88.
Locking and Unlocking Databases
Use the Lock/Unlock Databases view to prevent users from connecting to the database. You
might need to lock the database if you are upgrading the database or using a archive tool to create
a backup of the database. By default, the database is unlocked.
To lock a database:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Lock/Unlock
Database icon.
The Lock/Unlock database view opens.
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63
2. Select the database in the Unlocked Databases list.
3. (Option) Type a Lock comment explaining why you are locking the database. This
information appears in the Locked Database Information area for the database.
4. Click Lock Database.
Your user ID and the time at which you locked the database are filled in, and the database is
displayed in Locked Databases.
To unlock a database:
1. Select the database in the Locked Databases list.
2. Click Unlock Database.
The database is displayed in Unlocked Databases.
Managing Databases: Deactivating, Activating, and Migrating
64
Managing Databases: Deactivating, Activating, and
Migrating
Use the Managing Databases view to remove a database from the list of active databases
(deactivate) or to restore it to the list (activate). This view also lets you migrate a database to a
new Central Configuration Server (CCS) when necessary.
The following topics provide more information about activating, deactivating, and migrating
databases:
•Deactivating a Database
•Activating a Deactivated Database
•Migrating a Database
Deactivating a Database
You might want to prevent users from connecting to a database if the database has been “retired”
and the files have been moved elsewhere. In other cases, such as when you are backing up or
moving databases, you might need to ensure that no connections can be made to the database to
avoid interference. Deactivating the database removes it from the list of active databases.
cDeactivating a database does not delete the database files. It makes the database inactive so
that users cannot connect to it until it is activated again. The database data is kept at the
location that was specified when the database was created.
To deactivate a database:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Manage Databases
icon.
The Manage Databases view opens.
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65
2. Select the database name in the Databases list.
3. Click Deactivate.
The database name is removed from the Databases list.
Activating a Deactivated Database
If a specific database is not listed in the Databases view, it means that it is unknown to the
Interplay Engine and users cannot connect to it. If the database exists but is not listed, it is
probably deactivated. You activate a database by navigating to the database .pro file
(AvidWG.pro or AvidAM.pro). This file is located in the Workgroup_Databases folder,
represented by the administrative share name WG_Database$ (see “Creating an Interplay
Database” on page 26).
To add an existing but inactive database to the list of active databases:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Manage Databases
icon.
The Manage Databases view opens.
2. Do one of the following:
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66
tIn the “Database (.pro) file to activate” text box, type the full UNC path to the .pro file.
For example:
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG\AvidWG.pro
tClick the Browse button, log in if prompted, navigate to the .pro file using a network,
select the file, and click Open.
The following illustration shows the path to AvidWG.pro, using the Microsoft Windows smb
network and the administrative share WG_Database$.
nAvid recommends keeping the default share name WG_Database$. If you decide on a different
share name, consider that if the name is longer than 12 characters, you cannot browse to it
graphically. If a share name is longer than 12 characters, you need to type the complete path in
the “Database (pro) file to activate” text box.
Make sure to navigate through a network to select the file (for example, do not navigate
through a mapped network drive). You must use a UNC path.
The .pro file is displayed in the Activate Database dialog box.
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67
3. Make sure the option “Load Database on Activation” is selected. Deselect this option only if
directed by Avid support.
4. Click Activate.
The database is activated and loaded. The database name is displayed in the Databases list
and users can connect to the database. If the option “Load Database on Activation” is
selected, the database is automatically unlocked.
Migrating a Database
You usually need to perform a database migration under the following circumstances:
• When you want to remove all users and group-related data from a database. This allows you
to start with new users and groups and maintain the metadata and the data inside the
database.
• When you are troubleshooting a problem with customer support. For example, customer
support might ask you to provide a copy of your database.
• If you changed the Central Configuration Server (CCS) for a database without first moving
the _InternalData folder. If a database needs to be migrated, the State reads “Database
Requires Migration.”
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68
Do not use a database that requires migration; always migrate a database to a CCS. You
cannot administer an unmigrated database.
If a database needs migration, the database icon shows a red box with an X and a yellow
arrow. The database icon appears in several views in the Interplay Administrator, including
the Manage Database Roles view.
cWhen you migrate a database, the system deletes all the information inside the database
that was stored from the old CCS, including users, user settings and local administration
settings.
cIf you plan to migrate an Interplay Engine or Interplay Archive Engine database, turn off
the database backup process before you perform the migration. If you do not turn off the
backup process and it coincides with the migration, your backup will write out an
inconsistent state of the database (half current and half migrated).
To migrate a database to a new CCS:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Manage Databases
icon.
The Manage Databases view opens.
(Red box with X and yellow arrow) Database needs migration.
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69
2. In the Manage Databases view, click the name of the database that needs migration. The
State reads “Database Requires Migration.”
A warning explains the consequences of a database migration.
3. Click Migrate Database.
After the migration, the State reads “OK.” The database now has the CCS users and
administration properties of the new CCS you have set.
Moving a Database to Another Server
(Non-Clustered Systems)
Under special circumstances, you might need to move a database to a different server.
The following procedure refers to Interplay Engine servers that are not configured as failover
clusters. For clustered systems, see “Moving a Database to Another Server (Clustered Systems)”
on page 73.
cAvid recommends that you have telephone support from Avid during the process in case
complications arise.
Moving a Database to Another Server (Non-Clustered Systems)
70
cIf you move a database to a server that points to a different CCS, all the old CCS
information that was stored, including users, user settings, and local administration
settings for the database, will be lost because you will have to migrate the database (see
“Migrating a Database” on page 67). If you move a database to another server and also
move the CCS, however, this information is preserved. To move both a database and a
CCS, see “Moving a Database and Users to Another Server (Non-Clustered Systems)” on
page 71.
To move a database to another server (non-clustered systems):
1. Install the Interplay Engine on a new server (the target server).
Make sure the configuration is the same on both systems. For example, if you are moving an
AvidWG database, create an AvidWG database on the new server.
2. On the source server, lock the database by using the Lock/Unlock Database view (see
“Locking and Unlocking Databases” on page 62).
All clients are disconnected from the source server.
3. Deactivate the database by using the Manage Databases view (see “Deactivating a Database”
on page 64).
4. Make sure the database is unloaded from the server by opening the Restart Server view and
clicking Restart.
5. Locate the database folder on the source server.
The default path is \\server_name\WG_Database$\AvidWG (or AvidAM for an Archive
Manager). By default, the administrative share WG_Database$ refers to
D:\Workgroup_Databases.
6. Pack the database folder into a zip file or use Robocopy from the Microsoft Windows
Resource Kit for path names longer than 256 characters.
To save time and storage, you do not need to copy all the backups in the
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup folder. One complete backup and the most
recent Fast backup are sufficient.
If you are moving a split database, create two zip files, one for
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG and the other for
\\server_name\\workspace_name\\AvidWG.
nSplit databases are no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
7. Copy the zipped file or files to a network server, removable media, laptop, or directly to the
target server.
8. Open the Interplay Administrator, log on to the target server, and deactivate the database
(AvidWG or AvidAM) if one is active, using the Manage Databases View.
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71
9. On the target server, rename the existing database folder, for example, rename AvidWG to
AvidWG_old.
10. Copy the zipped file to the target server and unzip the file to the Workgroup_Databases
folder. Make sure the path on the target server matches the path on the source server.
11. Activate the database by using the Manage Databases view (see “Activating a Deactivated
Database” on page 65).
12. On an Interplay Access client, log in to the new server and verify that all data is available.
If all data is available, the new database is ready for use.
If necessary, remove the old database from Interplay Access by right-clicking the database
name and then clicking Remove Databases.
13. (Option) On the source server, rename the original database folder to avoid unwanted future
access.
Moving a Database and Users to Another Server
(Non-Clustered Systems)
Under special circumstances, you might need to move a database and users to a different server.
The following procedure refers to Interplay Engine servers that are not configured as failover
clusters. For cluster systems, see “Moving a Database and Users to Another Server (Clustered
Systems)” on page 75.
cAvid recommends that you have telephone support from Avid during the process in case
complications arise.
cIf you move a database to a server that points to a different CCS, all the old CCS
information that was stored, including users, user settings, and local administration
settings for the database, will be lost because you will have to migrate the database (see
“Migrating a Database” on page 67). If you move a database to another server and also
move the CCS, however, this information is preserved. To move both a database and a
CCS, use this procedure. For more information about a CCS, see “Understanding the
Central Configuration Server” on page 105.
To move a database and users to another server (non-clustered systems):
1. Install the Interplay Engine on a new server (the target server).
Make sure the configuration is the same on both systems. For example, if you are moving an
AvidWG database, create an AvidWG database on the new server.
2. On the source server, lock the database by using the Lock/Unlock Database view (see
“Locking and Unlocking Databases” on page 62).
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72
3. Deactivate the database by using the Manage Databases view (see “Deactivating a Database”
on page 64).
4. Make sure the database is unloaded from the server by opening the Restart Server view and
clicking Restart.
5. Lock the server using the Lock Server view (see “Locking and Unlocking the Server” on
page 89).
6. Locate the database folder on the source server.
The default path is \\server_name\WG_Database$\AvidWG (or AvidAM for an Archive
Manager). By default, the administrative share WG_Database$ refers to
D:\Workgroup_Databases.
7. Pack the database folder into a zip file or use Robocopy from the Microsoft Windows
Resource Kit for path names longer than 256 characters.
To save time and storage, you do not need to copy all the backups in the
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup folder. One complete backup and the most
recent Fast backup are sufficient.
If you are moving a split database, create two zip files, one for
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG and the other for
\\server_name\\workspace_name\\AvidWG.
nSplit databases are no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
8. Locate the user folder _InternalData on the source server.
The default path is D:\Workgroup_Databases\_InternalData.
9. Copy the zipped file or files and the _InternalData folder to a network server, removable
media, laptop, or directly to the target server.
10. Open the Interplay Administrator, log in to the target server, and deactivate the database
(AvidWG or AvidAM) using the Manage Databases View.
11. On the target server, rename the existing database folder, for example, rename AvidWG to
AvidWG_old.
12. Make sure all databases are unloaded from the server by opening the Restart Server view and
clicking Restart.
13. Lock the server by using the Lock Server view (see “Locking and Unlocking the Server” on
page 89).
14. Rename the existing _InternalData folder to _InternalData_old.
15. Copy the zipped file to the target server and unzip the file to the Workgroup_Databases
folder. Copy the _InternalData folder to the Workgroup_Databases folder. Make sure the
path on the target server matches the path on the source server.
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73
16. Unlock the server using the Lock Server view.
17. Verify that all users are on the system by opening the User Management view and viewing
the lists of user groups.
18. Activate the database by using the Manage Databases view (see “Activating a Deactivated
Database” on page 65).
19. On an Interplay Access client, log in to the new server and verify that all data is available.
If all data is available, the new database is ready for use.
If necessary, remove the old database from Interplay Access by right-clicking the database
name and then clicking Remove Databases.
20. (Option) On the source server, rename the original database folder to avoid unwanted future
access.
Moving a Database to Another Server (Clustered
Systems)
Under special circumstances, you might need to move a database to a different server.
The following procedure refers to Interplay Engine servers that are configured as failover
clusters. For non-clustered systems, see “Moving a Database to Another Server (Non-Clustered
Systems)” on page 69.
cAvid recommends that you have telephone support from Avid during the process in case
complications arise.
cIf you move a database to a server that points to a different CCS, all the old CCS
information that was stored, including users, user settings, and local administration
settings for the database, will be lost because you will have to migrate the database (see
“Migrating a Database” on page 67). If you move a database to another server and also
move the CCS, however, this information is preserved. To move both a database and a
CCS, see “Moving a Database and Users to Another Server (Clustered Systems)” on
page 75.
To move a database to another server (clustered systems):
1. Install the Interplay Engine on a new server (the target server).
Make sure the configuration is the same on both systems. For example, if you are moving an
AvidWG database, create an AvidWG database on the new server.
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74
2. On the source server, lock the database by using the Lock/Unlock Database view (see
“Locking and Unlocking Databases” on page 62).
All clients are disconnected from the source server.
3. Deactivate the database using the Manage Databases view (see “Deactivating a Database” on
page 64).
4. Make sure the database is unloaded by using the Cluster Administrator on one of the cluster
nodes:
a. Select Programs > Administrative Tools > Cluster Administrator.
b. Open the Avid Workgroup Server resource group.
c. In the list of resources, select Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor and change the state to
“Offline.”
cMake sure that you change the state to offline for the Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor
resource only, not the entire Avid Workgroup Server group.
d. Close the Cluster Administrator.
5. Locate the database folder on the active node of the source server.
The default path is \\virtual_cluster_name\WG_Database$\AvidWG (or AvidAM for an
Archive Manager). By default, the administrative share WG_Database$ refers to
S:\Workgroup_Databases. For more information, see “Identifying the Root Folder of the
Interplay Server Database” on page 85.
n If the S drive is not available on the machine, either this is the offline node or the entire Avid
Workgroup Server group was taken offline instead of only the resource.
6. Pack the database folder into a zip file or use Robocopy from the Microsoft Windows
Resource Kit for path names longer than 256 characters.
To save time and storage, you do not need to copy all the backups in the
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup folder. One complete backup and the most
recent Fast backup are sufficient.
If you are moving a split database, create two zip files, one for
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG and the other for
\\server_name\\workspace_name\\AvidWG.
nSplit databases are no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
7. Copy the zipped file or files to a network server, removable media, a laptop, or directly to the
target server.
8. Open the Interplay Administrator, log on to the target server, and deactivate the database
(AvidWG or AvidAM) using the Manage Databases View.
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75
9. On the target server, rename the existing database folder, for example, rename AvidWG to
AvidWG_old.
10. Copy the zipped file to the target server and unzip the file to the Workgroup_Databases
folder. Make sure the path on the target server matches the path on the source server.
11. Activate the database by using the Manage Databases view (see “Activating a Deactivated
Database” on page 65).
12. On an Interplay Access client, log in to the new server and verify that all data is available.
If all data is available, the new database is ready for use.
If necessary, remove the old database from Interplay Access by right-clicking the database
name and then clicking Remove Databases.
13. (Option) On the source server, rename the original database folder to avoid unwanted future
access.
Use the Cluster Administrator to bring the source server back online. Right-click the Avid
Workgroup Server group (not the resource) and select Bring Online.
Moving a Database and Users to Another Server
(Clustered Systems)
Under special circumstances, you might need to move a database and users to a different server.
The following procedure refers to Interplay Engine servers that are configured as failover
clusters. For non-clustered systems, see “Moving a Database and Users to Another Server
(Non-Clustered Systems)” on page 71.
cAvid recommends that you have telephone support from Avid during the process in case
complications arise.
cIf you move a database to a server that points to a different CCS, all the old CCS
information that was stored, including users, user settings, and local administration
settings for the database, will be lost because you will have to migrate the database (see
“Migrating a Database” on page 67). If you move a database to another server and also
move the CCS, however, this information is preserved. To move both a database and a
CCS, use this procedure. For more information about a CCS, see “Understanding the
Central Configuration Server” on page 105.
To move a database and users to another server (clustered systems):
1. Install the Interplay Engine on a new server (the target server).
Make sure the configuration is the same on both systems. For example, if you are moving an
AvidWG database, create an AvidWG database on the new server.
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76
2. On the source server, lock the database by using the Lock/Unlock Database view (see
“Locking and Unlocking Databases” on page 62).
All clients are disconnected from the source server.
3. Deactivate the database using the Manage Databases view (see “Deactivating a Database” on
page 64).
4. Lock the server using the Lock Server view (see “Locking and Unlocking the Server” on
page 89).
5. Make sure the database is unloaded by using the Cluster Administrator on one of the cluster
nodes:
a. Select Programs > Administrative Tools > Cluster Administrator.
b. Open the Avid Workgroup Server resource group.
c. In the list of resources, select Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor and change the state to
“Offline.”
cMake sure that you change the state to offline for the Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor
resource only, not the entire Avid Workgroup Server group.
d. Close the Cluster Administrator.
6. Locate the database folder on the source server.
The default path is \\virtual_cluster_name\WG_Database$\AvidWG (or AvidAM for an
Archive Manager). By default, the administrative share WG_Database$ refers to
S:\Workgroup_Databases.
n If the S drive is not available on the machine, either this is the offline node or the entire Avid
Workgroup Server group was taken offline instead of only the resource.
7. Pack the database folder into a zip file or use Robocopy from the Microsoft Windows
Resource Kit for path names longer than 256 characters.
To save time and storage, you do not need to copy all the backups in the
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG\_Backup folder. One complete backup and the most
recent Fast backup are sufficient.
If you are moving a split database, create two zip files, one for
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG and the other for
\\server_name\\workspace_name\\AvidWG.
nSplit databases are no longer recommended. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
8. Locate the user folder _InternalData on the source server.
The default path is S:\Workgroup_Databases\_InternalData.
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9. Copy the zipped file and the _InternalData folder to a network server, removable media,
laptop, or directly to the target server.
10. On the target server, rename the existing database folder, for example, rename AvidWG to
AvidWG_old.
11. Open the Interplay Administrator, log on to the target server, and deactivate the database
(AvidWG or AvidAM) using the Manage Databases View.
12. Lock the server using the Lock Server view (see “Locking and Unlocking the Server” on
page 89).
13. Rename the existing _InternalData folder to _InternalData_old.
14. Copy the zipped file to the target server and unzip the file to the Workgroup_Databases
folder. Copy the _InternalData folder to the Workgroup_Databases folder. Make sure the
path on the target server matches the path on the source server.
15. Unlock the server using the Lock Server view.
16. Verify that all users are on the system by opening the User Management view and viewing
the lists of user groups.
17. Activate the database by using the Manage Databases view (see “Activating a Deactivated
Database” on page 65).
18. On an Interplay Access client, log in to the new server and verify that all data is available.
If all data is available, the new database is ready for use.
If necessary, remove the old database from Interplay Access by right-clicking the database
name and then clicking Remove Databases.
19. (Option) On the source server, rename the original database folder to avoid unwanted future
access.
Use the Cluster Administrator to bring the source server back online. Right-click the Avid
Workgroup Server group (not the resource) and select Bring Online.
Moving a Database Under Low Disk Space
Conditions
If disk space on the server is critically low, the Interplay Engine refuses client connections and
displays an error message. In this situation, the administrator cannot log in and shut down the
server, and move a database by normal means (as described in “Moving a Database to Another
Server (Non-Clustered Systems)” on page 69 and “Moving a Database and Users to Another
Renaming a Database
78
Server (Non-Clustered Systems)” on page 71). In the Server installation directory (by default,
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server), there are tools provided to solve such
problems:
• NxNServerLock.exe
• NxNServerUnlock.exe
• NxNServerShutdown.exe
cBefore beginning this procedure, be sure to make a backup of the database. See “Creating
and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29 for information on running a backup.
Temporarily change the Backup time field to “Once at” and enter or select from the list the
time in the future closest to the current time.
To move a database under low disk space conditions:
1. Lock the server using NxNServerLock.exe.
2. Shut down the server using NxNServerShutdown.exe, if necessary.
3. Move the database folder (AvidWG or AvidAM) to another drive or free up some disk space.
4. Unlock the server by doing one of the following:
tUse the Interplay Administrator’s Lock Server view (see “Locking and Unlocking the
Server” on page 89).
tUse NxNServerUnlock.exe.
5. Deactivate the moved database using the Manage Databases view (see “Deactivating a
Database” on page 64).
6. Activate the moved database in the correct location using the Manage Databases view (see
“Activating a Deactivated Database” on page 65).
Renaming a Database
Under some circumstances you might need to rename a database For example, if you need to
create a new database with the same name, you can rename the original database. You can keep
the original database as an archive for searching.
cBefore beginning this procedure, be sure to make a backup of the database. See “Creating
and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29 for information on running a backup.
Temporarily change the Backup time field to “Once at” and enter or select from the list the
time in the future closest to the current time.
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79
To rename a database:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Manage Databases
icon.
The Manage Databases view opens.
2. Select the database and click the Deactivate Database button to ensure that the database is
not in use.
3. On the server or at the database location, use the Windows desktop to rename the database
folder, .pro file, and .nif directory, and all files within the _Database folder, that is, replace
the old <DatabaseName> with the new name for all files fitting the following mask:
<DatabaseName>\<DatabaseName>.pro
<DatabaseName>\<DatabaseName>.nif
<DatabaseName>\<DatabaseName>\_*.pro.jrn
<DatabaseName>\_Database\<DatabaseName>.*
<DatabaseName>\_Database\<DatabaseName>_*.jrn
Do not forget to rename the .jrn files correctly: make sure there are no typos in the database
name, and that they are followed by the underscore and the numeric ID.
4. In the Interplay Administrator, click the Manage Databases icon and activate the database
(see “Activating a Deactivated Database” on page 65).
Running Database Maintenance Tools
The Maintenance view in the Database section of the Interplay Administrator provides the
following tools that you can use to fix database problems. You can use these tools with Interplay
Engine databases v2.4.0.1 or later, except for Validate User Tree, which you can use only with
Interplay Engine v2.6. The tools are not displayed when connected to earlier versions of the
Interplay Engine.
• Verify Link Consistency: Use this tool to detect and remove broken links and link
inconsistencies.
Broken links are objects visible in a database folder that do not refer to an existing asset.
They are displayed with a special X icon and are named with a mob ID (media object ID).
They should be removed because they can cause exceptions during browsing.
Link inconsistencies are not visible. They are obsolete or invalid entries in internal database
tables. A high number might cause slowdowns for certain operations.
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80
• Cleanup Invalid Dependencies: Use this tool to detect and remove dependency
inconsistencies.
Dependency inconsistencies are not visible. They are obsolete or invalid entries in internal
database tables. A high number might cause slowdowns for certain operations.
• Remove Duplicated Locators: Use this tool to detect and remove duplicated locators.
Duplicated locators are locators that have the same comment, timestamp, and color as
another locator on the same asset. A high number might cause slowdowns for certain
operations. They were created because of a bug in certain Avid editing products.
• Recover Lost Master Mobs: Use this tool to detect and recover assets without a visible
representation in a folder and display them in the Orphan Clips folder.
Lost master mobs are assets (such as sequences, master clips, and subclips) that are stored in
the database but have no visible representation in a folder.
• Delete Lost File Mobs: Use this tool to detect and remove media file information objects
containing information about a specific media file, like the resolution, site or location, which
are not associated to an asset.
Lost file mobs are media file information objects that are stored in the database but are not
associated to a master clip or rendered effect.
• Validate User Tree (Interplay Engine v2.6 or later): Use this tool to detect and fix
inconsistencies in the user structure.
The AvidWG or AvidAM database contains a copy of the CCS user database. If the internal
structure of this copy contains inconsistencies, then the synchronization of users between the
CCS and the database might fail.
• Validate AssignedRoles Table: Use this tool to check or fix (by removing) invalid entries in
the AssignedRoles table. This table keeps information about user roles that are assigned to
database objects. The tool verifies this table for integrity and fixes entries if needed.
• Validate Property Objects: (Interplay Engine v2.7.6 or later, Interplay Engine v3.0.6 or
later.) Use this tool to check for and repair issues with database properties, for example, a
“SettingsNotRegisteredException” exception when applying Editing Settings in the
Interplay Administrator.
• Clean Up Parentless Objects: (Interplay Engine v2.7.6 or later, Interplay Engine v3.0.6 or
later.) Use this tool to check for and repair database objects that do not have a parent
anymore. Hints that such objects exist can sometimes be obtained in the NxNServer.log with
ERRORs like “root object has no parent.” The presence of such objects can cause issues
such as incomplete search results. All objects in the database must have a parent. This is true
not only for Avid assets that are displayed in the browse tree but also for all other objects,
such as users and other system objects.
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81
• Validate Reservations: Use this tool to check all reservations. If the Fix Reservations option
is checked, the tool removes expired and obsolete reservations.
• Validate Free Capacity in Blob Store: Use this tool to fix issues with the blob (Binary Large
Objects) store, a section in the database that stores large properties.
When to run these tools: You can run any of these tools as part of a troubleshooting procedure,
as recommended by an Avid representative. You can also run them for maintenance during
regular maintenance windows. However, they are not designed to be run on a daily basis, because
they require Exclusive Access to the database (see below).
One approach to using the tools for maintenance is to run them in the first convenient
maintenance window. Note how long it takes to run the tools, and if any problems are reported. If
there are no problems after running the tools a second time, you probably do not need to run
them during every maintenance window. If as a result of running these tools you find an issue
that regularly causes inconsistencies, you must consult with your Avid representative to address
the root cause of the issue.
Most tools can take up to an hour to run on large databases, but usually run much quicker, and
you can safely cancel the execution at any time. Each tool includes a window that displays
logging information and options for saving the information.
There are four tools that you cannot cancel after you have started them:
• Validate AssignedRolesTable and Validate Property Objects: Usually run only a few
seconds, regardless of the size of the database.
• Clean Up Parentless Objects: Might run for an hour on a very large database.
• Validate Free Capacity in Blob Store: Takes a few minutes to run on a large database.
Exclusive Access: Keep in mind that each tool requires Exclusive Access. Exclusive Access
locks the database to prevent access by a host system other than the one used to acquire
Exclusive Access and the Engine itself. A dialog box asks if you want to acquire Exclusive
Access before running the selected tool. You must click Yes to run the tool. Exclusive Access is
automatically released at the end of the process. Consider sending out a notice to users before
running any of these tools, informing them that the database will be locked. Logged-on clients
will be automatically logged off after the database is locked.
Maintenance tools that you run in read-only mode (that is, without checking an option to fix
problems) do not require Exclusive Access. The following tools do not require Exclusive Access
in read-only mode:
• Verify Link Consistency
• Clean Up Invalid Dependencies
• Remove Duplicated Locators
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82
• Recover Lost Master Mobs
• Delete Lost File Mobs
• Validate User Tree
• Validate AssignedRoles Table
• Validate Free Capacity in Blob Store
If a tool requires Exclusive Access, a dialog box is displayed that asks if you want to set
Exclusive Access.
Exclusive Access can be acquired and released in the Lock Server view, independently of the
Maintenance tools (see “Locking and Unlocking the Server” on page 89). In an emergency, such
as the Exclusive Access host crashed and there is no Interplay Administrator installed on the
Engine, you can run a command-line program to release Exclusive Access. The file name of the
tool is
NxNServerExclusiveAccessRelease.exe
and it is installed by default on the Interplay
Engine in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
nFor more maintenance information, see “Interplay Maintenance Recommendations” in the
Interplay Best Practices Guide.
To run a database maintenance tool:
1. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Maintenance icon.
The Maintenance view opens.
2. In the left column of the view, select the database on which you want to run the tool.
3. Double-click the icon for the tool you want to use.
4. Select options for the tool as described in the following table:
Tool Options
Verify Link Consistency • Fix broken links. Select this option to delete any broken links. If
you do not select this option, the tool reports broken links and
removes link inconsistencies. but does not take action to fix the
broken links.
• Verbose Output. Select this option to display the location of the
broken links.
Cleanup Invalid Dependencies • Cleanup Invalid Dependencies. Select this option to remove the
invalid dependencies. If you do not select this option, the tool
reports problems without taking action to fix them.
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83
Remove Duplicated Locators • Remove duplicate locators. Select this option to remove the
duplicated locators. If you do not select this option, the tool
reports problems but does not take action to fix them.
• Verbose Output. Select this option to display the names of the
assets with duplicated locators.
Recover Lost Master Mobs • Recover into ‘Orphan Clips’ folder. Select this option to create
links for lost master mobs in to the Orphan Clips folder for
deletion. If you do not select this option, the tool reports problems
but does not take action to fix them.
• Verbose Output. Select this option to display the names of the lost
master mobs.
Delete Lost File Mobs • Delete File Mobs. Select this option to delete lost media
information objects.
• Delete Media. Select this option to delete media associated with
the lost media information objects.
If you do not select these options, the tool reports problems but
does not take action to fix them.
cIf you run the Delete Lost File Mobs tool on an Interplay
Archive Engine, and select the Delete Media option, media
associated with the lost file mobs will be deleted from the
archive tapes.
• Verbose Output. Select this option to display the media path.
Validate User Tree (Interplay
Engine v2.6 or later)
• Fix Invalid Users. Select this option to repair certain
inconsistencies in the user structure.
If you do not select this option, the tool reports problems but does
not take action to fix them.
• Verbose Output. Select this option to display user names.
Validate AssignedRoles Table • Remove Invalid Entries. Select this option to remove invalid
entries from the AssignedRoles table.
If you do not select this option, the tool reports problems but does
not take action to fix them.
Tool Options
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84
Validate Property Objects • Fix Property Objects: Use this option to both check for and fix
found issues with property objects. The results dialog displays
how many fixing operations the tool will perform or has
performed.
When this option is not selected, the tool only checks for and
reports broken property objects.
Clean Up Parentless Objects • Clean up parentless objects and move them to the “Lost&Found”
folder. Use this option to both check for and fix parentless objects.
The Interplay Engine either deletes the parentless object (in case it
is not valid or functional anymore) or restores the object to a new
parent folder named “Lost&Found.” This folder is created on the
database's root folder. The results dialog contains information if
objects were recovered (“Restored n parentless objects to the
“Lost&Found” folder).
If the results dialog reports that it restored objects to Lost&Found,
the administrator should run the tool again. It is possible that the
tool will find additional parentless objects through the restored
objects.
When this option is not selected, the tool only checks for and
reports parentless objects.
nIn rare cases, the read-only run of the tool reports that it found
parentless objects that should be deleted, but after a clean-up
operation, the results dialog does not report any deleted any
objects. Subsequent read-only runs will continue to report
these objects to be deleted. (Administrators can find entries in
the Engine logs during the clean-up run that report skipped
objects.) This is not a problem. These objects are special
because they do not cause “root object has no parent” issues
but are difficult to delete.
Validate Reservations • Fix Reservations: Use this option to both check all reservations
and remove expired and obsolete reservations.
If you do not select this option, the tool reports problems but does
not take action to fix them.
Validate Free Capacity in Blob
Store
• Fix issues in Blob Store: Use this option to both check for and fix
issues identified by this maintenance tool.
If you do not select this option, the tool reports problems but does
not take action to fix them.
Tool Options
Identifying the Root Folder of the Interplay Server Database
85
5. Click Run.
A dialog box asks if you want to set Exclusive Access to the database.
6. Click Yes.
The tool runs with the options you selected. While the tool is running, information about the
progress and found issues is displayed. When the tool is finished the following options are
displayed:
- Open Log in editor: Opens the displayed information in Notepad or another default text
editor. This version of the runtime information includes specific date and time
information.
- Copy Log to Clipboard: Copies the information you see displayed to the clipboard.
- Save Log: Saves a version of the displayed information with additional specific date and
time information, like the first option. It uses the following format:
tool_name-dd-mm-yyyy-hh-mm-ss.log
7. Click Close.
Identifying the Root Folder of the Interplay Server
Database
WG_Database$ is a hidden administrative share name and not an actual folder. It represents the
root folder of the database. For example, the default root folder (which is set during installation)
is named D:\Workgroup_Databases (S:\Workgroup_Databases on a cluster system).
To identify the root folder of the database:
1. Log onto the Interplay server (local computer) with an administrative account.
2. Open a Command Prompt by clicking All Programs and selecting Accessories > Command
Prompt.
3. Type the following command at the Windows Command line:
net share
All shares on the system are displayed, along with their paths, as shown in the following
illustration:
Identifying the Root Folder of the Interplay Server Database
86
Database
root
folder
3Server Settings
The Server settings enable you to configure and change server settings and shutdown and restart
the server. The following topics describe how to use these settings:
•Changing the Database and Data Locations
•Viewing Server Information
•Locking and Unlocking the Server
•Restarting the Server
•Managing Licenses
•Configuring Third-Party Storage
Changing the Database and Data Locations
The Server Settings view lets you change the default locations for a new database.
cDo not change the location for the metadata database. The metadata database must be
stored directly on the local Interplay Engine server because permanent access to these files
is required. This is the only supported setup. Previously, you had the option of storing the
source files for file assets on an Avid shared-storage workspace. This configuration, known
as a split database, is no longer supported. See “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
The root folder for a new database is set during the installation of the Interplay Engine software.
By default, the installation program creates a shared folder that functions as the root folder for
both the metadata database and the source files for file assets (the file repository). The default
location is the D:\Workgroup_Databases folder, which is represented by the administrative share
name WG_Database$. The $ indicates a hidden share.
nTo identify the actual folder, open a Command Prompt window and type
net share
.
If you need to create a new database, changing these settings does not affect any existing
databases.
To change the root folders for a new database:
1. In the Server section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Server Settings icon.
The Server Settings view opens.
Viewing Server Information
88
2. For the root folder of the database (metadata), keep the folder that was set during the
installation of the server (the default is \\IEServer\WG_Database$\).
3. For the root folder of the data (file assets), keep the folder that was set during the installation
of the server, unless you need to change the default configuration. The default is the same as
the root folder of the database.
4. Click Apply Changes to change the setting for new databases.
Viewing Server Information
The Server Information view has two areas:
• The Server Information area displays information about the following:
- The version of the Interplay Engine software
- The number of connected clients (through Interplay Access and other client
applications)
- The number of databases on the server
• The Connected User Information area displays information about the following:
- Which database users are connected to
- Which user is connected to which database
- Which machine the user is connected from
- What time a user has been connected since
- The license class used
The license class is different from the license type. The license class is an internal key
that is used by the Interplay Engine. The license type is the key displayed in the
Licenses view. For example, if a user is logged into Interplay from NewsCutter, Access,
and Interplay Administrator at the same time, the license classes listed in the Server
Locking and Unlocking the Server
89
Information view are KEY-EE for the editor, KEY-E for Access, and KEY-A for the
Interplay Administrator, However, only one license type, KEY-XE, is listed as used in
the Licenses view.
You should use the Licenses view to manage license use. For more information, see
“License Types and Usage” on page 98.
To view information about the Interplay Engine server:
tIn the Server section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Server Information
icon.
The Server Information view opens.
Locking and Unlocking the Server
The Lock Server view allows the administrator to lock the Interplay Engine server for a specific
period of time. Locking the server is useful when carrying out tasks such as:
• Server maintenance or upgrading the server software.
• Maintaining or rebooting the Avid shared-storage server.
nWhenever a database or data location is unavailable, you should lock the database or the server.
Locking and Unlocking the Server
90
The Lock Server view provides two different means of locking the Interplay Engine server: Lock
Server and Exclusive Access.
• If Lock Server is activated, the Interplay Engine server is locked and all the clients that are
connected to it are disconnected.
• If Exclusive Access is activated, the server process continues to run and the database can be
used. Access is limited to the following host systems:
- The host system used to acquire Exclusive Access, that is, the host system running the
Interplay Administrator you used to set Exclusive Access
- The Interplay Engine host, for example, through an Interplay Administrator or Interplay
Access client on the Interplay Engine host system
Exclusive Access is required when running maintenance tools. See “Running Database
Maintenance Tools” on page 79.
In addition to the Interplay Administrator client, any Interplay client running on one of these
hosts (for example, Interplay Access, a Production Services provider, or an Avid editing
system) is allowed to connect to the Interplay Engine and the database. This access allows
you to execute a variety of maintenance tasks from this host while ensuring that no other
host can access the Engine and database.
If the database becomes corrupt, the server might be locked automatically.
The following table summarizes the differences between a server lock, a database lock, and
Exclusive Access:
Feature Description
Server lock
(Lock Server view)
Saves and unloads all databases (including _InternalData). Also prevents access
by the Interplay Administrator. Should be used for maintenance operations that
require access to all database files (in the share WG_Database$). Usually
shutting down the Interplay Engine is a better approach than a server lock.
Database lock
(Lock/Unlock
Database view)
Saves and unloads the database and thus allow maintenance operations on the
database files themselves. Working with the database is not possible. Good for
database file-level maintenance and restoring backups. Still allows access by
the Interplay Administrator for settings such as user management and licensing.
See “Locking and Unlocking Databases” on page 62.
Exclusive Access
(Lock Server view)
Does not unload any database files and therefore allows the owner of the
Exclusive Access to work with the database. Good for executing maintenance
operations in the database itself. Cannot be used for any database file
maintenance operations.
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91
To lock the server and prevent any user access:
1. In the Server section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Lock Server icon.
The Lock Server view opens.
2. In the Lock Server section, select one of the following for the locking duration:
- Indefinitely: An indefinite shutdown. This is a good choice when shutting down the
server to carry out any vital maintenance, for example replacing hard drives, or making
the first backup of a new database. The server needs to be manually unlocked after
maintenance work.
- Minutes: Allows you to stipulate when to restart the server (short time frame). It is
useful when you are making routine backups and you know how much time you need.
Specify the time period by clicking the Up and Down arrows.
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92
- Lock until: Allows you to stipulate when to restart the server (longer time frame).
Specify the time period by clicking the Up and Down arrows.
3. In the “Lock comment” text box, type a comment as to why you are locking the server. This
comment is displayed when an Interplay Administrator tries to log into the Interplay Engine.
4. Click Lock Server.
The Lock Server view changes to display lock information. You cannot return to the
Interplay Administrator window by clicking the Menu button. You can log out of the
Interplay Administrator tool and then log in again.
To manually unlock the server after activating Lock Server, do one of the following:
tLog in to the Interplay Administrator, click the Lock Server icon, click Unlock Server and
log in to the Interplay Administrator.
tIn emergency situations, run the command-line program
NxNServerUnlock.exe.
It is
installed by default on the Interplay Engine in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
To lock the server and allow access to the host that acquires the lock:
1. In the Server section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Lock Server icon.
The Lock Server view opens.
2. In the Exclusive Access section, select one of the following for the locking duration:
- Indefinitely: An indefinite shutdown. This is a good choice when shutting down the
server to carry out any vital maintenance, for example replacing hard drives, or making
the first backup of a new database. The server needs to be manually unlocked after
maintenance work.
- Minutes: Allows you to stipulate when to restart the server (short time frame). It is
useful when you are making routine backups and you know how much time you need.
Specify the time period by clicking the Up and Down arrows.
- Lock until: Allows you to stipulate when to restart the server (longer time frame).
Specify the time period by clicking the Up and Down arrows.
3. In the “Lock comment” text box, type a comment as to why you are locking the server. This
comment is displayed when an Interplay Administrator tries to log into the Interplay Engine.
4. Click Exclusive Access.
Exclusive Access Information is displayed. The “Accessible for” field lists the hostnames of
the host that acquired the lock and the Interplay Engine host.
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93
You can return to the Interplay Administrator window by clicking the Menu button, log out
of the Interplay Administrator tool and then log in again, and perform other database tasks.
To manually unlock the server after activating Exclusive Access, do one of the following:
tLog in to the Interplay Administrator from the host where you acquired Exclusive Access or
on the Engine host itself, click the Lock Server icon, then click Release Exclusive Access.
tIn emergency situations, run the command-line program
NxNServerExclusiveAccessRelease.exe.
It is installed by default on the Interplay
Engine in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
Restarting the Server
Restarting the server disconnects any clients and shuts down the database before the server
process is restarted. You rarely need to restart the server. Typically, you restart the server if you
want to disconnect all clients and want to make sure no one is connected to the server so that you
can perform maintenance. For example, you might restart the server and then lock the database
as part of the process of moving the database.
Restarting only restarts the server process and not the server machine itself.
cDepending on the size of the database, this process can take several minutes. Do not
attempt to reboot the server under any circumstances before this process is completed.
To restart the server process:
1. In the Server section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Restart Server icon.
The Restart Server view opens.
2. Click Restart.
Managing Licenses
94
Managing Licenses
Interplay needs valid licenses in order to function. Licenses are delivered to the customer in a
license file, which the administrator imports through the Licenses view.
The following topics provide more information about installing and managing licenses:
•“Installing Permanent Licenses” on page 95
•“Displaying the Licenses View” on page 96
•“License Types and Usage” on page 98
•“Exporting a License” on page 103
•“Troubleshooting Licensing Problems” on page 103
•“Using the License Key Info Tool” on page 104
The following terms are used in these topics:
• License: The legal right to use an application. On the Interplay Engine, licenses are
represented by license types.
• License type: A license that applies to a particular application or group of applications.
License types are shown in the Licenses view as KEY-G, KEY-J, and so on.
• License file: A file with the extension .nxn that contains the license types that were
purchased by the customer.
• Registry key: An organizational unit in the Windows registry. After you import the license
file into the Interplay Engine, the information is stored in a registry key. Sometimes this
registry key is referred to as a “license key.”
• Dongle: A physical device that is attached to a system. Interplay licenses are associated with
the dongle that is attached to the Interplay Engine.
• Software license: Licenses issued for Interplay 3.3 and later use a software license instead of
a dongle.
Managing Licenses
95
Installing Permanent Licenses
If you are installing the Interplay Engine on a new system, temporary licenses are activated
automatically so that you can administer and install the system. There is no time limit for these
licenses. If you are performing an upgrade, the currently installed licenses are used.
Starting with Interplay Production v3.3, new licenses for Interplay components are managed
through software activation IDs. In previous versions, licenses were managed through hardware
application keys (dongles). Dongles continue to be supported for existing licenses, but new
licenses require software licensing.
A set of permanent licenses is provided by Avid in one of two ways:
• As a software license
• As a file with the extension .nxn on a USB flash drive or another delivery mechanism.
These permanent licenses must match the Hardware ID of the Interplay Engine. After
installation, the license information is stored in a Windows registry key.
nLicenses for an Interplay Engine failover cluster are associated with two Hardware IDs.
If a customer purchases additional licenses, the licenses are delivered in an additional license
file. After installation, new licenses are added to the existing licenses and are stored in an
additional registry key.
To install a permanent license through software licensing:
tUse the Avid License Control application.
See “Software Licensing for Interplay Production” in the Interplay | Production Software
Installation and Configuration Guide.
To install a permanent license by using a dongle:
1. Start and log in to the Interplay Administrator.
2. Make a folder for the license file on the root directory (C:\) of the Interplay Engine server or
another server. For example:
C:\Interplay_Licenses
3. If the licenses were delivered on a USB flash drive, insert the drive into any USB port.
nYou can access the license file from the USB flash drive. The advantage of copying the license
file to a server is that you have easy access to installer files if you should ever need them in the
future.
Managing Licenses
96
If the USB flash drive does not automatically display:
a. Double-click the computer icon on the desktop.
b. Double-click the USB flash drive icon to open it.
4. Copy the license file (*.nxn) into the new folder you created.
5. In the Server section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Licenses icon.
6. Click the Import license button.
7. Browse for the *.nxn file.
8. Select the file and click Open.
You see information about the permanent license in the License Types area. The license
information is stored in a registry key. (See “Troubleshooting Licensing Problems” on
page 103.)
Displaying the Licenses View
To view information about your licenses:
tIn the Server section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Licenses icon.
The Licenses view opens. The contents of the Licenses view depend on the type of license:
software or hardware (dongle). The following illustration shows the software license view.
- Use the Refresh button to update the information in the view, such as changes made by
another instance of the Interplay Administrator.
Managing Licenses
97
- Use the Refresh Engine button to update changes to licenses you have made using the
Avid License Control tool. Clicking this button gives you the same result as restarting
the Interplay Engine.
The following illustration shows the dongle-managed view.
For the dongle-managed view, the Licenses view has four sections:
- The License Types section displays information about the following:
- Your current license types (see “License Types and Usage” on page 98).
- Number of license types available.
- Number of license types used.
- Time Limit (days): The total days included in the license. Interplay licenses are
usually not time limited, so in most cases the value for a license type is “Unlimited.”
Only one time limit is stored for each license type.
- Days Remaining: The number of days until expiration of a time-limited license.
Interplay licenses are usually not time limited, so in most cases the value for a
license type is “0.” Only one value for the days remaining is stored for each license
type.
Managing Licenses
98
- The Server Information section displays information about the following:
- Customer ID. The customer name or ID number.
- Hardware ID, which matches the physical application key (dongle). The Hardware
ID is required to obtain technical support.
nThe items Number of Databases, License Mode, and Lock Timeout are not applicable to current
licensing.
- Import License File section: For information about importing a license file, see
“Installing Permanent Licenses” on page 95.
- Export License File section: For information about exporting a license file, see
“Exporting a License” on page 103.
License Types and Usage
Customers can currently buy three types of client licenses:
• MediaCentral Base license
• MediaCentral Advance license
• Media Composer Cloud license
The names of the first two licenses include MediaCentral, but the licenses themselves are used
for all Interplay client applications, except for Media Composer Cloud. For example, a user on
one workstation can work with all of the following applications concurrently and use only one
MediaCentral Base license:
• Digidesign™ Pro Tools®Integration
• Interplay Access
• Interplay Assist
• MediaCentral (access to iNEWS only or Interplay Production only)
• Media Composer or NewsCutter
Prior to version 2.7, customers purchased licenses for individual applications. These legacy
licenses are still supported, as described later in this topic.
nInterplay Engine patch release 2.7.0.2 added support for the Central Base license (KEY-J) and
Central Advance license (KEY-G) to be used as universal license types. This change allows these
licenses to be used for both legacy and MediaCentral client connections.
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99
Customers can also buy the following licenses:
• Interplay Production Engine
• Interplay Archive Engine
• Third-Party AMA Storage
Supported License Types
The following table describes the license types used for Interplay Production v2.7.0.2 and later,
how they are displayed in the Interplay Administrator Licenses view, and which applications
they license.
License Types Currently Used for Interplay Production
License Type Key Application or Product
Central Base Client KEY-J • Digidesign™ Pro Tools®Integration
• Interplay Access
• Interplay Assist
• MediaCentral, access to iNEWS only or Interplay
Production only.
• Media Composer, NewsCutter
Central Advance Client KEY-G Above products plus
• Avid Instinct
• MediaCentral, with access to Interplay Production and
iNEWS in the same browser plus all features
Media Composer Cloud
Client
KEY-LI Media Composer Cloud
A Media Composer Cloud client also requires a Media
Composer client license. The Media Composer license is
included in the client count, but the Media Composer Cloud
license is not included (not counted).
Interplay Archive Engine KEY-AM Interplay Archive Engine. This key is visible only when the
Interplay Administrator is logged onto the Archive Engine.
Interplay Streaming Server KEY-C Interplay Streaming Server
Third-party Storage KEY-CI Third-party storage for AMA material.
Managing Licenses
100
How Licenses Are Shared
A client workstation, through its IP address, can use a single license to run more than one Avid
client application concurrently. For example, a user can run both Media Composer and Interplay
Access while using a single MediaCentral license (Base or Advance). The Interplay Engine
manages access through the hostname of the workstation.
The license is not released from the client workstation until all applications that require a license
are closed.
nTo run MediaCentral and other applications concurrently with a single license, the client
workstation must be connected to the same LAN as the MediaCentral server. The client
workstation must have a correct DNS entry and the MediaCentral server must be configured to
resolve the client workstation’s hostname.
The Interplay Engine uses “smart licensing” to manage Base and Advance licenses to allow
optimum usage of free licenses. It assigns an Advance license to a Base client if a Base license is
not available. It switches the assignment if an Advance client needs a license and a Base license
becomes available. For example:
1. Client 1 requires a Base license, and is assigned the last free Base license. Client workstation
2 requires a Base license, but only an Advance license is available. Workstation 2 is assigned
an Advance license.
2. Client workstation 1 logs out from the application, and a Base license is freed.
3. Client workstation 3 requires an Advance license, but only a Base license is available.
Workstation 2’s license is switched to a Base license and workstation 3 is assigned an
Advance license.
The following figure illustrates this example.
Client 1
Base
Client 2
Base
Client 3
Advance
KEY-G
Base
KEY-J
Advance
Client 1
Base
Client 2
Base
Client 3
Advance
KEY-G
Base
KEY-J
Advance
Client 1
Base
Client 2
Base
Client 3
Advance
KEY-G
Base
KEY-J
Advance
qqqwe
Clients 1 and 2 logged in Client 1 logs out, Base license free Client 3 logs in
Managing Licenses
101
License Types Previously Used for Interplay Production Applications
Prior to Interplay version 2.7, customers purchased licenses for individual products. The
following table lists how these legacy licenses relate to current license types, how they are
displayed in the Interplay Administrator Licenses view, and which applications they license.
Interplay version 2.7 and later continues to support these licenses.
nInterplay Engine patch release 2.7.0.2 added support for the Central Base (KEY-J) and Central
Advance (KEY-G) to be used as universal license types. This change allows these licenses to be
used for both legacy and MediaCentral client connections.
The following illustration compares a set of legacy license types, a set of current license types,
and a mix of the two. In all cases the number of client licenses available is 140.
License Types Previously Used for Interplay Production Applications
License Type Key Application or Product
Base License KEY-X Interplay Access
Base License KEY-XA Media Composer Cloud
Base License KEY-XE Avid Editing Applications
Base License KEY-XL Interplay Assist
Base License KEY-XP Digidesign™ Pro Tools®Integration
Advance License KEY-XI Avid Instinct
Managing Licenses
102
Legacy license types
Current license types
Current license types and legacy license types
Managing Licenses
103
If a facility is using a mix of legacy licenses and current licenses, the Interplay Engine first looks
for an appropriate legacy license. If none are available, it looks for an appropriate current license.
For example:
1. An Assist client logs on. The Interplay Engine looks for an Assist license (KEY-XL)
2. If it does not find one available, it looks for a Base license (KEY-J).
3. If it does not find one available, it looks for an Advance license (KEY-G)
If a facility is using only legacy licenses, Interplay Engine v2.7.0.2 and later manages licenses in
the same way that it did before v2.7.0.2. One client license can apply to multiple applications on
a client workstation. For example, if you have an editing application running, no additional
license is needed to run Access at the same time:
• If you start the Avid editing application first, KEY-XE is assigned. If you then start Interplay
Access, KEY-XE covers use of Interplay Access on the same machine.
• If you start Interplay Access first, KEY-X is assigned. If you then start the editing
application, KEY-X is released and KEY-XE is used instead.
Exporting a License
You might need to export your license information for support purposes (dongle-managed
licenses only)
nExport functionality is intended for Avid support purposes. You might not be able to reimport an
exported license.
To export your license to a file:
1. Click the Export license button in the Licenses view.
2. Type or browse to a .nxn file name.
3. Select Save.
Troubleshooting Licensing Problems
If you previously attached one application key (dongle) on an Interplay Engine system and
loaded the registration file for that dongle, and then attach a different dongle and try to load a
new registration file, the registration file will not load. You need to delete the Windows registry
key for the dongle.
To delete the registry key for a dongle:
1. Click Start, then click Run.
2. In the Open text box, type
regedit
and click OK.
The Registry Editor view opens.
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104
3. Locate the registry key for the original dongle, found here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avid Technology\Workgroup\Avid Workgroup
Server\FeatureKeys\Permanent
4. Delete the Permanent folder.
5. Close the Registry Editor window.
6. Reload the new registration file as described in “Installing Permanent Licenses” on page 95.
Using the License Key Info Tool
You can use the LicenseKeyInfo tool to display and print out the license information for an
Interplay Engine or Interplay Archive Engine. This tool is primarily a support tool. It is useful
when you have only a license file available (and not a server), or you want to know the enabled
features of a license without installing it.
To examine the license key information for an Interplay Engine:
1. Navigate to the following folder:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
2. Double-click LicenseKeyInfo.exe
The Interplay License Info dialog box opens.
3. Click Get License Info.
4. Select the License file and click OK.
The system displays the license info.
5. (Option) Click Save License Info or Print License Info and follow the on-screen instructions.
Configuring Third-Party Storage
This view is used to configure storage manufactured by companies other than Avid. It is used
primarily in AMA workflows. For more information, see “Using AMA Material in Interplay” in
the Interplay | Production Best Practices Guide.
4User Management
An administrator controls access to Interplay through user accounts and user roles. The
following topics provide information about how to manage user accounts and access to the
database:
•Understanding the Central Configuration Server
•Adding Users to a Central Configuration Server
•Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
•Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
•Managing Database Roles
•Guidelines for User Management
For specific examples of how to manage user roles, see “Setting Up a Folder Structure and a
User Database” in the Interplay Best Practices.
Understanding the Central Configuration Server
The Central Configuration Server (CCS) is an Interplay Engine with a special module that is
useful if you are working in an environment that includes more than one Interplay Engine
(including an Interplay Archive Engine). The CCS uses this module to store information that is
common to all other Interplay Engines. Cross-database management of administrative tasks is
possible because all of the Interplay Engines under the CCS inherit its settings by default. A
Central Configuration Server is especially useful for user management tasks.
You set a CCS whenever you install an Interplay Engine. At that time, you can set the CCS as the
server on which you are installing, or you can specify a previously installed Interplay Engine,
including an Interplay Archive Engine. The Interplay Engine acts as the CCS as soon as it is
started after the installation. Each Interplay Engine must be associated with a CCS. An Interplay
Engine can be its own CCS.
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106
Depending on the number of Interplay Engines that are installed, several CCS configurations are
possible:
• One Interplay Engine: Configure this server as the CCS.
• Several Interplay Engines: Usually you configure only one Interplay Engine as the CCS. The
use of more than one CCS in a company might be useful if there are several independent
domains, departments, or sites where there is no need to share users or other settings in
Interplay. In the case where several sites are located in different locations, having one CCS
for each site could be practical.
cStarting with Interplay V3.0, a CCS that is created on an Interplay V3.0 Engine does not
support Interplay Engines earlier than v3.0. A CCS on an Interplay Engine earlier than
v3.0 supports an Interplay V3.0 Engine.
If necessary, you can use the Central Configuration Server view to change the CCS that you set
during the Interplay Engine installation.
cDo not reset the CCS unless there is real need to do so, such as a space issue. All the
information that was stored on the old CCS, including users and local administration
settings, is lost when the CCS is changed to another server unless you first move the
_InternalData folder to the server that will be used as the new CCS. If you do not or cannot
move the _InternalData folder to the new CCS, and you set the new CCS for the database,
you must migrate the database through the Manage Databases view. In this case, all
previous CCS-related information will be lost.
The following procedures describe how to change the CCS:
•“Moving the CCS to Another Server” on page 107
•“Viewing and Changing the CCS for a Server” on page 108.
Specifying an incorrect CCS can prevent login. See “Troubleshooting Login Problems” on
page 227.
Understanding the Central Configuration Server
107
Moving the CCS to Another Server
cBefore beginning the following procedure, be sure to make a backup of the database. See
“Creating and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29 for information on running a
backup. You can use the Start Backup Now feature to start a backup immediately. You can
use the Start CCS (_InternalData) Backup Now feature to back up the CCS database.
The following procedure is based on these assumptions:
• Server A is the CCS.
• You want to keep the CCS settings and user information that exist on server A, but move
them to server B.
• You do not want to keep the original CCS information that exists server B.
cServer B should be created by a clean installation and should serve as its own CCS. No
other database should point to Server B as a CCS, because any existing user data on Server
B will be lost.
To move a CCS to another server:
1. Back up the database. See “Creating and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29.
2. Make sure that the Interplay Engine on both servers is the same version. See “Viewing
Server Information” on page 88.
3. Start Interplay Administrator and log in to server A (which is the current CCS).
4. Lock server A. See “Locking and Unlocking the Server” on page 89.
5. In Interplay Administrator, log out of server A.
6. Log in to server B.
7. Lock server B.
8. Log out of server B.
9. Use Windows Explorer to delete the _InternalData folder on server B.
The folder is located by default in \\IEServer\WG_Database$ (usually
D:\Workgroup_Databases\). See “Identifying the Root Folder of the Interplay Server
Database” on page 85.
10. Copy the _InternalData folder from server A to the default database location of server B.
11. In Interplay Administrator, log in to server A, unlock the server, and log out.
12. Log in to server B and unlock the server.
13. Make sure the CCS for server B is set as server B itself. If necessary, complete “Viewing and
Changing the CCS for a Server” on page 108.
14. Log out of server B.
Understanding the Central Configuration Server
108
15. On server A, change the CCS for server A to server B using “Viewing and Changing the
CCS for a Server” on page 108.
Viewing and Changing the CCS for a Server
cBefore beginning the following procedure, be sure to make a backup of the database. See
“Creating and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29 for information on running a
backup. You can use the Start Backup Now feature to start a backup immediately. You can
use the Start CCS (_InternalData) Backup Now feature to back up the CCS database.
The following procedure is based on these assumptions:
• Server A is the CCS.
• You want server B to be the CCS for server A. You want to use the settings and user
information that exists on server B.
• You do not want to keep the CCS information that exists on server A.
To change the CCS for a server:
1. Back up the database. See “Creating and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29.
2. Make sure that server A and server B are the same version, otherwise the CCS does not
reset. See “Viewing Server Information” on page 88.
3. Start the Interplay Administrator on server A, and log in to Server A.
4. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Central
Configuration Server icon.
The Central Configuration Server view opens.
5. Use the arrow in the Central Configuration Server list to select server B to use as the CCS.
A warning appears explaining the consequences if you have not followed the procedure
“Moving the CCS to Another Server” on page 107 and moved the _InternalData folder to
server B.
Understanding the Central Configuration Server
109
Moving the _InternalData folder is usually recommended. If you do not, all users and local
administration settings are lost.
6. Do one of the following:
tTo keep the original CCS, click Cancel.
tTo change to a new CCS, click Change CCS.
7. If you have not moved the original CCS server (see “Moving the CCS to Another Server” on
page 107), you need to migrate the database to the new CCS and all of your CCS-related
data (such as users and local administration) are lost. Unmigrated databases should not be
used; databases should always be migrated to a CCS. Unmigrated databases cannot be
administered. For more information, see “Migrating a Database” on page 67.
Adding Users to a Central Configuration Server
110
Adding Users to a Central Configuration Server
There are several ways to add users to a Central Configuration Server:
• Automatically adding Avid Unity (shared-storage) users. These users are added to the CCS
the first time they log in. They log in using their Avid Unity username and password. For
more information, see “Setting Avid ISIS Authentication” on page 113.
• Importing users from a Windows domain or LDAP directory. You need to use the User
Authentication Providers view to import these users. They log in using their Windows or
LDAP username and password. For more information, see “Setting Windows Domain
Authentication and Importing Users” on page 114 and “Setting LDAP Authentication and
Importing Users” on page 116.
• Individually creating users. You need to use the User Management view to create individual
users. They log in using the username and password that you set. For more information, see
“Adding Users Manually” on page 127.
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing
Users
The User Authentication Providers view lets you set the type of authentication users need to
provide when logging in to Interplay. You can select one or more of the following authentication
providers:
• Avid Unity
• Windows Domain
•LDAP
Selecting these providers lets users log in without requiring them to use an additional username
and password for Interplay. You still have the option of creating individual users specifically for
Interplay (see “Adding Users Manually” on page 127).
The User Authentication Providers view lets you import users from a Windows domain or LDAP
server. You do not need to explicitly import Avid Unity users; they are imported at the time they
log in.
Information from this view is saved in the CCS (see “Understanding the Central Configuration
Server” on page 105).
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111
nAll special characters are allowed in user names except for \ (backslash), / (forward slash),
| (vertical bar), and quotes (" and '). When LDAP and Windows Domain users are imported,
these characters are replaced with “_”. If two users have different user names that are mapped
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
112
to the same converted name (for example, dann/o and dann\o become dann_o), only one
converted user name is imported. These users currently cannot be authorized through LDAP or
Windows Domain; they can only be imported.
The users are added to the Imported Users folder in the User Management page, under the
respective subfolder for LDAP, Microsoft, or Avid Unity. Users are also added to the Everyone
folder. The following illustration shows these subfolders with the LDAP folder selected.
These types of user authentication and how users are imported are described in the following
topics:
•“Setting Avid ISIS Authentication” on page 113
•“Setting Windows Domain Authentication and Importing Users” on page 114
•“Setting LDAP Authentication and Importing Users” on page 116
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
113
Setting Avid ISIS Authentication
If you select the Avid ISIS Authentication option, a user can log in to the Interplay database
using a valid Avid ISIS password. The authentication mechanism always checks this User
Authentication Provider first.
This method of authorization is implicit. In other words, there is no active import of users at the
time the Avid ISIS Authentication is enabled. Instead, the first time that an Avid ISIS user logs in
to Interplay, the user is added to the UNITY user group subfolder. By default, this user group has
Read rights.
If your workgroup includes multiple ISIS systems, you need to specify each additional ISIS
server name. Users can then use their Avid ISIS credentials to log in to the Interplay database
and access any additional ISIS servers to which they have access. For more information, see the
Interplay Software Installation and Configuration Guide.
nIf you list ISIS server names for Unity authentication, the servers that you specify determine
which workspaces are available in the Media Creation Workspace setting. This occurs whether
or not ISIS user authentication is activated. See“Application Database Settings: Editing Settings
Tab” on page 199.
To enable Avid Unity authentication:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the User
Authentication Providers icon.
The User Authentication Providers view opens.
2. Click Avid ISIS Configuration Settings.
3. Type the server name with which the CCS should cross-check for authentication.
Click the Remove Entry button to delete a hostname.
The name that you type depends on the configuration of the ISIS system.
- For a configuration with a single System Director, type the System Director hostname
that is set in the ISIS Control Panel in the System Director.
- For a configuration with two System Directors (dual System Director configuration),
type the Virtual System Director hostname that is set in the Control Panel for both
System Directors. The Virtual System Director Name represents the two virtual IP
addresses that you also set in the ISIS Control Panel.
The name you type must match the ISIS name that appears in the ISIS Client Manager that is
running on the Interplay Engine. For more information, see the Setup Guide for your ISIS
system.
In a multiple ISIS workgroup, type the name of the local System Director.
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
114
4. In a multiple ISIS workgroup, click the Add Avid ISIS button and type the name of the
System Director for the additional Avid ISIS systems.
5. Click Apply.
The first time an Avid ISIS user logs into Interplay, the user is added to the CCS as part of
the UNITY user group under Imported Users, with Read rights by default.
To reassign an Avid ISIS user’s Interplay rights:
tMove the user to a different user group later if you want to give the user a different role.
For more information, see “Managing Database Roles” on page 134.
Setting Windows Domain Authentication and Importing Users
If you activate Windows Domain authentication, a user is able to log in to an Interplay database
with a Windows domain user name and password. Any time a user tries to access an Interplay
database, the CCS (Central Configuration Server) can use the Windows login information to
authenticate the user and in turn to check which databases the user can access.
To use this feature, the Interplay Engine Server Execution User must be a member of the domain
from which you import users and against which you want to authenticate users. If the user is
logged in to a supported Windows machine, and logged into the same domain as the Interplay
Engine, the user can log in using the domain user name and password.
An administrator needs to assign suitable roles to the imported users before they can access the
database. By default, imported users do not have access rights to the database, which will cause a
login to fail even if a user is properly authenticated by the domain. In this case, the following
error message is displayed:
Note also that for Interplay to import users from an Active Directory, these users must be placed
in groups. Interplay does not support importing of single users. To facilitate administration, Avid
recommends that you align the Interplay group structure with the Active Directory group
structure.
nSome large organizations might use a hierarchical domain structure called a “forest root
domain.” For example, an organization with a domain named “company.com” might choose to
place its Interplay production system in a sub-domain named “avid.company.com.” In Windows,
users from different parts of this organization can be managed in groups (for example, a
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
115
“Universal Group”) and can be authenticated across the entire forest. Interplay domain
authentication does not support this structure. If you select a domain for authentication, users
from other forest domains will be stripped from the group during the import process.
If necessary, you can combine Windows domain authentication of one domain with LDAP
authentication of another domain. See “Authentication from an Active Directory that Includes
Multiple Domains” on page 121.
nRoaming profiles are not supported in an Interplay environment.
To enable Windows domain authentication:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the User
Authentication Providers icon.
The User Authentication Providers view opens.
2. Select the Windows Domain Authentication option.
3. Click Import Windows Domain Users.
The Import User Groups dialog box opens.
4. Do one of the following:
tSelect the user groups you want to import into the Interplay system.
tClick Select All to import all the user groups into the Interplay system.
5. Click OK.
nDepending on the size and complexity of the import, the import operation might prevent users
from logging on, browsing, checking in, or doing on work on the server
Upon import, Interplay creates a new user group and subfolder called MICROSOFT under
Imported Users in the User Management view. It imports all the users authenticated on the
Windows domain that are not currently in the Interplay user database. These users are
imported to the MICROSOFT group and have the default role of No Access. Users can then
be moved to different groups to gain a new user role. See “Managing Database Roles” on
page 134.
Users that are already in the Interplay user database during a Windows Domain User import
are added to the MICROSOFT group again but retain the group placement and role they
already had.
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
116
nNew users added to the Windows domain are not continually imported to the CCS. You need to
add them manually. See “Adding Users Manually” on page 127.
Setting LDAP Authentication and Importing Users
If you select the LDAP Authentication option, a user can log in to Interplay databases with an
LDAP user name and password. Interplay supports LDAP Version 2 and LDAP Version 3.
To properly configure LDAP authentication, you must know the schema of the LDAP database.
Two common schemas are
• Microsoft Active Directory LDAP implementation
• A freely available LDAP service such as OpenLDAP
The configuration you specify depends on the LDAP schema against which you are
authenticating. The following illustration shows some differences between Active Directory and
OpenLDAP.
Active Directory LDAP OpenLDAP
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
117
nDetails on the LDAP schema objects can be found in RFC1274, “The Cosine and Internet X.500
Schema.”
If an Active Directory is made up of multiple OUs (organizational units) in multiple domains,
you can select a specific OU for user authentication. See “Authentication from an Active
Directory that Includes Multiple Domains” on page 121.
To import LDAP users and enable LDAP authentication:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the User
Authentication Providers icon.
The User Authentication Providers view opens.
2. Select the LDAP Authentication option.
3. Type information in the edit fields to specify the LDAP settings you want to use for import
and authentication.
The settings are described in “LDAP Server Configuration Settings” on page 118.
4. Click Apply.
5. Click Import LDAP Users.
A warning message tells you that during an import other users will not be able to work with
this server.
6. Click OK.
Interplay creates a new user group and subfolder called LDAP under Imported Users and
imports all the users from the LDAP server that match the filter criteria in the LDAP
configuration, and are not currently available in the Interplay user database. These users are
imported to the LDAP group and have the default role of No Access. Users can then be
moved to different groups to gain a new user role. See “Managing Database Roles” on
page 134.
Users that are already in the Interplay user database during an LDAP User import are added
to the LDAP group again but retain the additional group placement and role they already
have.
nNew users added to the LDAP server are not continually imported to the CCS. You need to add
them manually. See “Adding Users Manually” on page 127.
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
118
LDAP Server Configuration Settings
The following table describes the LDAP server settings that are needed for authentication and
import.
Setting Description
LDAP Server IP address of the LDAP server.
LDAP Port Port for the LDAP service. For Standard LDAP, accept the default port
389. For Active Directory Global Catalog LDAP, specify port 3268. For
LDAP enabled over SSL (LDAPS), specify port 636
Use SSL Select this option if the LDAP uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
technology.
nSecured LDAP requires an X.509 certificate infrastructure. For
more information, see the Microsoft article “How to enable LDAP
over SSL with a third-party certification authority.”
User DN for Searches User DN for a user who has the right to query the directory. This DN will
be used for logging on to the LDAP directory and performing a search for
importable objects after you click the Import LDAP Users button.
Password for Searches Password for a user who has the right to query the directory. This
password will be used for logging on to the LDAP directory after you
click the Import LDAP Users button.
Search Root DN DN root for searches in the LDAP database. This DN specifies the search
root that will be used after you click the Import LDAP Users button. This
DN typically points to the branch of the LDAP tree where the user objects
are located. Typical examples are
“CN=queryuser,CN=Users,DC=company,DC=com” for Windows Active
Directory LDAP, or “CN=queryuser,DC=company,DC=com” for
OpenLDAP.
For an example of importing users from an Active Directory structure
with multiple domains, see “Authentication from an Active Directory that
Includes Multiple Domains” on page 121.
User Object Class Object class attribute of a User. This value will be used as a search filter
after you click the Import LDAP Users button. Interplay will perform an
ldap_search request on the directory, and all returned objects that match
User Object Class will be imported. A typical setting for Microsoft AD
LDAP would be organizationalPerson. For OpenLDAP, a typical object
class would be simpleSecurityObject.
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
119
User Name Attribute The attribute that becomes the imported user name in Interplay. This
name is displayed in the user tree and is used for logging in to Interplay.
The standard LDAP attribute is “cn” but an administrator can use other
attributes, such as “displayName” or “mailNickname” for a shortened
user name. The user import process automatically imports the attribute
used in this field as well as the “cn” attribute. When the user logs in, the
LDAP authentication process uses the “cn” attribute.
Note the following:
• If an Interplay user with the name specified by “User Name Attribute”
does not exist yet in Interplay, a new user is created. This can happen
if an LDAP user was originally imported through a different attribute,
for example, originally imported through “cn” and now imported
through “displayName.”
• If an Interplay user with the name specified by “User Name Attribute”
already exists, but was imported by an Interplay Engine earlier than
v3.2, the existing Interplay user is updated to enable a correct LDAP
authentication (through import of the “cn” attribute).
User DN Suffix Suffix that must be appended to the user name to form a valid
Distinguished User Name (DN). The resulting DN will be used whenever
a user tries to authenticate through LDAP: Interplay will issue a simple
ldap_bind request to the directory service, using a DN constructed
according to the rule given above, and the clear text password as given by
the user.
For example, if the user name specified during login is “journalist” and
the User DN Suffix is “CN=Users,DC=company,DC=com,” Interplay will
try to bind to the LDAP service using a DN of
“CN=journalist,CN=Users,DC=company,DC=com.” Access will be
granted if the bind request is allowed by the LDAP service. Depending on
the LDAP service implementation, there might be other possible ways of
constructing a DN valid for binding to the LDAP service. In Active
Directory LDAP, for example, a DN suffix of “@company.com,” resulting
in a DN of “journalist@company.com” might also work.
For an example of authenticating users from an Active Directory structure
with multiple domains, see “Authentication from an Active Directory that
Includes Multiple Domains” on page 121.
Active Directory Group The name of an Active Directory group whose users you want to import.
The LDAP attribute that contains the group name must be “memberOf,”
as displayed in the Active Directory LDAP interface. You must be
connected to an Interplay Engine v3.2 or later. Only Active Directory
groups are supported.
Setting Description
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
120
The following illustration shows an example of settings for an Active Directory LDAP
implementation.
The following illustration shows an example of settings for an OpenLDAP implementation.
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
121
Authentication from an Active Directory that Includes Multiple Domains
An organization might have an Active Directory that includes several domains. Depending on
the requirements of the organization, you can import and authenticate users in the following
ways:
• Authenticate users from a single LDAP domain
• Authenticate users from a single OU (organizational unit)
• Combine LDAP authentication for one domain with Windows domain authentication for a
second domain
nWhen using LDAP authentication, you can use only one OU for authentication.
LDAP Authentication from a Single LDAP Domain
For example, a facility’s Active Domain might have three domains, as shown in the following
illustration.
If a domain includes only one user OU, you can specify that domain as the Search Root DN and
the User DN Suffix. In the following illustration, import and authentication is specified for
test1.test.avid.com
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
122
LDAP Authentication from a Single OU
A domain might have more than one OU. The following illustration shows three user OUs for
test1.test.avid.com.
In the LDAP Authentication Settings, you would specify the specific OU as the Search Root DN,
and then specify a User DN Suffix to authenticate users in that OU. In this example, the Search
Root DN is set for the OU test\userou1 in the domain test1.test.avid.com. The User DN suffix
matches this search root.
Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing Users
123
Combined LDAP Authentication and Windows Domain Authentication
If you want to import and authenticate users from two domains, you can combine LDAP
authentication as described in the previous sections (either for a single domain or for a single
OU) with Windows Domain authentication for a second domain. For information on Windows
Domain authentication, see “Setting Windows Domain Authentication and Importing Users” on
page 114.
The following illustration shows Windows Domain Authorization selected for one domain (the
domain is not shown in the Interplay Administrator view) and LDAP Authorization for an OU in
another domain.
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
124
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
The User Management view lets you create, modify, manage and delete users and user groups. It
also lets you define user roles and authentication protocols. If you are working in an environment
that includes more than one Interplay Engine, you should manage users through a CCS (see
“Understanding the Central Configuration Server” on page 105). Managing users through a CCS
lets you manage users across multiple workgroups.
If you work at a relatively small site where all editors and assistants have access to all the current
projects, then you can set all user roles by user groups. If you work at a site where you need to
limit access to some projects, you can set roles for users on specific folders. See “Managing
Database Roles” on page 134.
For more information about managing user roles, with specific examples, see “Setting Up a
Folder Structure and a User Database” in the Interplay Best Practices Guide.
The following illustration shows the User Management view with the Administrators group
selected. In this example, there are three custom user groups: Assistants, Editors, and Graphic
Artists.
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
125
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
126
Understanding Default User Groups, Users, and Roles
The User Management view displays all user groups and users. The user groups created during
the server installation are as follows:
• Administrators, with the user Administrator: Users with administrator rights. When you first
log in after the first installation, if you have not yet imported Windows Domain or LDAP
server users, the only user displayed is the user “Administrator” with administrator rights.
This user cannot be deleted, nor can the user rights be restricted in any way.
• Everyone: All users. This group contains the master user for every user in all the other
groups. The master user in the Everyone group is the original user object. Instances of a user
in other groups are linked to the master user. By default, the group role is set to No Access.
The following illustration shows the master user for Administrator in the Everyone group
and a link to the master user in the Administrators group. The icon for the linked user
includes a link symbol.
• Imported Users: Users imported from Avid Unity, Windows Domain or LDAP (see “Setting
User Authentication Providers and Importing Users” on page 110). By default, the group
roles are set as follows:
- LDAP: No Access.
- MICROSOFT: No Access.
- UNITY: Read Access.
• Migrated Users: The group for users migrated from an Avid Unity MediaManager
environment to an Interplay environment. By default, the group role is set to No Access. For
more information on migrating users from an Avid Unity MediaManager environment to an
Interplay environment, see your Avid representative.
Adding User Groups
Interplay creates default user groups during the server installation. You can create additional
groups so that you can more easily manage access to the database. For example, you might have
a group of editors that should always have Read/Write/Delete privileges on all files. You might
Link to Administrator master u
Administrator master user
(in the Everyone group)
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
127
also have a group of assistants that should have Read/Write privileges. In this case you can set up
two user groups that have different sets of privileges: one named Editors, and one named
Assistants.
To create a user group:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the User
Management icon.
The User Management view opens.
2. In the Users pane, select the group into which you want to add a the new user group. To
create a group at the top level, select Users.
3. Do one of the following:
tPress Ctrl+G for a new user group.
tClick the Create User Group button.
4. Add a name and a description for the new group.
By default, the description is inherited from the group in which you created the group.
All special characters are allowed in user and group names except “\”, “/”, “|” and quotes ("
and '). For more information, see “Viewing and Setting Attributes” on page 128.
5. (Option) Select a role for the new group.
Roles are inherited from the group in which you create the group. For more information, see
“Viewing and Changing Roles” on page 130.
6. Click Apply.
Adding Users Manually
You need to add users manually if you do not automatically add them through Unity
(shared-storage) authentication. Even if you import Windows Domain or LDAP users, you need
to add users manually if they are added to the Windows domain or LDAP server.
To add a user manually:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the User
Management icon.
The User Management view opens.
2. In the Users pane, select the group into which you want to add a user.
3. Do one of the following:
tPress Ctrl+U for a new user.
tClick the Create User button.
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128
4. Add attributes for the new user: name, description (inherited from the user group by default),
password, password confirmation, and email.
All special characters are allowed in user and group names except “\”, “/”, “|” and quotes ("
and '). For more information, see “Viewing and Setting Attributes” on page 128.
5. (Option) Select a role for the new user.
Roles are inherited from the group in which you create the user. For more information, see
“Viewing and Changing Roles” on page 130.
6. Select an authentication provider.
For more information, see “Viewing and Setting Authentication Providers for Individual
Users” on page 132.
7. Click Apply.
Viewing and Setting Attributes
To view attributes for a user group or a user:
tIn the Users list of the User Management view, select the user group or user.
Attributes for the selected group or user are displayed in the Attributes pane.
If you select a group, the name and description are displayed. For an existing group, you can
add or edit a description.
If you select a user, the name is displayed, plus a description (inherited from the user group
by default), password, password confirmation, and email address, if you have entered them.
By default, the password field in the Attributes text box shows asterisks. If you choose to
allow the user to log in to the server with Internal Authentication, then you need to set the
password in the Attributes text box. For users that log in through other providers, you do not
need to specify the password. For more information, see “Viewing and Setting
Authentication Providers for Individual Users” on page 132.
nThe password should only include characters from the ASCII the character set. Multibyte
passwords might cause login problems, and the administrator then has to reset the password.
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
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To set the internal password:
1. In the Users list, select a user.
2. Type the password and the confirmation in the text box.
3. Click Apply.
The user can change his or her password anytime in the login dialog box.
cIf you select the Internal Authentication option and do not set a password, anyone can log
in with that user name and no password.
Understanding Standard Roles and Default Rights
After you have created the user groups and individual users, you can review and if necessary
change their roles. The role determines the rights or permissions that the user groups and
individual users have. If you assign a role to a user group, all the users in that group inherit the
group rights. If you add a user to a user group, the user inherits the group rights.
A user might have different roles, depending on the group in which the user belongs. The overall
accumulated inherited role for a user is the highest role (the role with the most rights) that the
user has in any one user group. This is the role that is displayed in the User Management view.
See “Guidelines for User Management” on page 143 for an example of an accumulated inherited
role.
The five standard roles and their default rights are as follows:
• Administrator: An Administrator has Read/Write/Delete rights plus the right to carry out
administrative tasks such as logging on to the Interplay Administrator, adding users,
managing groups, and so on. Only Administrators can see all items in the Deleted Items
folder in Interplay Access.
• Read/Write/Delete: Users are allowed to view, import, edit, delete, rename, and move any
item in the database. They can view items they have deleted themselves in the Deleted Items
folder in Interplay Access.
• Read/Write: This role allows users to view, import, and edit items in the database.
• Read: These users can copy files to their local disk, but cannot delete, edit or import any
item into the database. Read-only users cannot change properties.
• No Access: This role takes away all user rights, but the user is not removed. This is useful if
you want to control access on a folder basis, for example, if you do not want a particular set
of users to be able to view selected folders in the database. This is the default role for users
in the Everyone, Imported Users, and Migrated Users folders.
You can assign rights for specific users on specific folders in the Manage Database Roles view
(see “Managing Database Roles” on page 134).
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130
Viewing and Changing Roles
By default, all users in a group inherit the role assigned to the group. You cannot assign rights to
specific users in the User Management view. If you want to change a user’s rights, you can move
the user to a different group.
For more information about setting up roles correctly, see “Managing Database Roles” on
page 134.
For information about the right to modify properties in Access (displayed in the Additional Roles
pane), see “Setting Access Control for Custom Properties” on page 154.
To view the role of a group or user:
tIn the Users list of the User Management view, select the group or user.
The role is displayed in the Roles pane. If a user has more than one role, the User
Management view displays the accumulated inherited role, the highest role (the role with the
most rights) that the user has in any one user group.
The groups to which a user or group belongs are shown in the Part of Group(s) pane. These
entries also display the role inherited from each group.
The following illustration shows information about the user Composer1. This user has
Read/Write/Delete access that is inherited from the Editors group.
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To navigate to the Users tree from the Part of Group(s) pane:
1. Select the user group in the Part of Group(s) pane.
2. For any user group other than the Users group, right-click and select one of the following:
tSelect “Go To” to switch the focus of the Users tree to the group you selected.
tSelect “Go to user in this group” to switch the focus of the Users tree to the selected user
in the selected user group. The Part of Group(s) dialog box focus does not update.
To change the role for a user group:
1. In the Users list of the User Management view, select the user group for which you want to
change the role.
2. In the Roles area, select the appropriate role.
3. Click Apply.
Managing Users, User Groups, and User Rights
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To change the role for a user, do one of the following:
tRight-click the user and select Cut, select the group, right-click the group and select Paste.
This action moves the user from one group to another. You can also drag the user from one
group to another.
tRight-click the user and select Copy, select the group, right-click the group and select Paste.
This action removes the user from one group and adds it to another. You can also hold down
the Ctrl key and drag the user from one group to another.
Viewing and Setting Authentication Providers for Individual Users
You set an authentication method in the User Authentication Providers view and these settings
carry over to all users by default. See “Setting User Authentication Providers and Importing
Users” on page 110 for details.
You can change the methods by which individual users can be authenticated. The method must
be enabled in the User Authentication Providers view (a global authentication method) before it
is available for the individual user. If you set an authentication method for an individual user, and
later change the global authentication method, the individual user does not inherit the global
settings.
You can select more than one authentication provider. The list of providers is checked on logon
and if one provider authenticates the user, the user can log on.
The following table provides information about the authentication providers you can select:
cIf you do not select an authentication method for a user, the user cannot log in.
Type of Authentication Description
Avid ISIS Authentication The user can log in to the Interplay database using a valid Avid
Unity password.
Internal Authentication The user can log in to the Interplay database using the password
you set in the User Management view. By default, the password
field in the Attributes pane is empty. The user can change this
password anytime in the Interplay login dialog box.
LDAP Authentication The user can log in to the Interplay database using an LDAP user
name and password.
Windows Domain Authentication The user can log in to the Interplay database using a Windows
domain user name and password.
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133
To change or add an authentication provider:
1. In the Users list of the User Management view, select the user.
2. In the Authentication Providers pane of the User Management view, select the appropriate
options.
3. Click Apply to make the change, or Revert to discard your changes.
Deleting Users and User Groups
You can delete any user except Administrator and you can delete any user group except
Administrators, Migrated Users, and Everyone.
Avid recommends that a user check in all files and log off before you delete the user.
cDeleting a user or user group deletes it from all groups in the Users list and from the
Central Configuration Server.
To delete a user group or a user:
1. Select the user group or user in the Users pane.
2. Click the Delete User/Group button.
A user remains in all other user groups it is in, if any.
Managing Database Roles
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Removing Users from User Groups
You can remove any user except Administrator from any user group except the Everyone group.
Removing a user does not delete the user from other groups.
To remove a user from a user group:
1. Select the user in the group from which you want it removed.
2. Do one of the following:
tPress the Delete key.
tClick the Remove User button.
Managing Database Roles
You set and manage global roles for users in the User Management view (see “Managing Users,
User Groups, and User Rights” on page 124). You have the option of limiting or granting rights
for specific users on specific folders. Use the Manage Database Roles view to manage rights on
specific folders.
For example, you might have editors and graphic artists that are working on different projects. To
avoid confusion, you might want to prevent editors on one project from having write and delete
rights on projects that they are not working on. For information about the five standard roles, see
“Understanding Standard Roles and Default Rights” on page 129.
There are two different ways to assign roles to folders:
• General role assignments (see “Viewing General Role Assignments” on page 134 and
“Setting or Changing a General Role Assignment” on page 137)
• Special access folders (see “Managing Special Access Folders” on page 140)
For more examples of setting up rights on folders, see “Setting Up a Folder Structure and a User
Database” in the Interplay Best Practices Guide.
Viewing General Role Assignments
To view assigned roles for users of the database or a folder:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Manage
Database Roles icon.
The Manage Database Roles view opens.
Managing Database Roles
135
2. Select the General Role Assignment option.
3. In the Database pane, select the database or a folder for which you want to view roles.
General Role Assignment option
Managing Database Roles
136
If the database icon has a red X, you are not connected. Click the database icon to connect.
The database icon shows a green check mark when you are connected. The following table
describes three different states of the database icon.
4. In the User/Group pane, select the user or group.
tTo view roles for all users of the selected folder, select All Users and Groups.
tTo view roles for a particular user or user group of the selected folder, select that user or
user group.
5. In the Roles pane, select the role you want to view:
tTo view all roles for the selected users of the selected folder, select “All roles.”
tTo view particular roles for the selected users of the selected folder, select a role.
The path in the middle of the view displays a formula for what is displayed in the lower
panel.
The Node (item in the database), User, and corresponding role are displayed in the lower
panel. Roles that are inherited from a group are grayed out. Roles that have been assigned
directly are black.
The following illustration shows the Projects folder, the Editors group, and All roles
selected. All roles are listed in the lower panel.
Icon Meaning
(Green circle with check mark) Database you are connected to.
(Red box with X) Database you are not connected to.
(Red box with X and yellow arrow) Database needs migration.
See “Migrating a Database” on page 67.
Managing Database Roles
137
Setting or Changing a General Role Assignment
Use the Manage Database Roles view to set or change rights to a particular folder. Note the
following:
• To delete items, the user must have deletion rights for the folder, even if the user is the owner
of the item to be deleted.
• To move items, the user must have write rights on the object, the folder the object is being
moved out of, and the target folder.
• All users are automatically assigned the Read role for the folder Unchecked-in Avid Assets
(but not the contents), and the Read/Write/Delete role for their private folder within the
Unchecked-in Avid Assets folder. All users are automatically assigned the No Access role
Managing Database Roles
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for Orphan Clips. Administrators have full access to all folders. For more information about
the Unchecked-in Avid Assets folder and the Orphan Clips folder, see the Interplay Access
User’s Guide.
To set or change a role for users of the database or a folder:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Manage
Database Roles icon.
The Manage Database Roles view opens.
2. Select the General Role Assignment option.
3. In the Database pane, select the database or a folder for which you want to set a role.
4. In the User/Group column, select the user or user group.
5. In the Roles column, select the role you want to set.
The formula in the middle of the view shows your selection. For example, in the following
illustration, you are going to give Editors the Read role (read-only access) for the Antarctica
folder.
Managing Database Roles
139
6. Click Set Role.
The role appears in the lower panel.
To change a role:
tSelect the entry in the lower pane, right-click, and select Set Role > role name.
To remove a role for users of the database or a folder:
1. Select the database or a folder in the Database column.
2. Select an entry in the list in the lower pane.
3. Do one of the following:
tClick the Remove Role button.
tRight-click and select Remove Role.
The role for the users on that item is inherited from the parent user group again.
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140
Blocking Access by a Group or User
When you are trying to block access by a whole group, it is not sufficient to change the user
rights for the user group to NoAccess; individual users who have rights assigned to them
specifically or through memberships in other user groups could still log in.
To block members of an entire group:
1. In the Manage Database Roles view, in the Database pane, select the project from which you
want to block users.
2. In the User/Group pane, expand the group.
3. Select each user, and in the Roles pane select No Access.
4. Click Set Role.
To prevent a user from accessing all databases:
tIn the User Management view, deselect all authentication providers available to a user.
Managing Special Access Folders
If necessary, you can allow a user to access a specific folder that they otherwise would not have
access to. For example, if a new user is assigned the No Access role for the Projects folder, you
can allow access to a particular project within the folder.
To allow access to a Special Access folder:
1. In the Manage Database Roles view, set the No Access role for the specific user on the
top-level folder that you want to be hidden (see “Setting or Changing a General Role
Assignment” on page 137).
2. On the item for which the user needs access, set the role to Read (or higher).
The “Folder is not visible” dialog box opens, telling you how applying the role to the
selected location will affect the user’s rights on other folders.
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3. Click the Apply button for the option “Mark as Special Access Folder: Grant path access and
allow to view path.”
This option allows users to log in to the database and navigate to the specified location. The
tree structure above the folder will be visible, but not the contents of the other folders in the
structure. The first option makes the contents of the tree structure accessible as well (not
recommended).
After you set the special access, when users connect to the database, they see the structure of
the database above the special access folder, but not the contents of the individual folders.
Only the contents of the folder for which they have Read or higher rights are available.
To view who has been assigned access to Special Access folders:
1. Select the Special Access Folders option.
2. In the Database pane, select the entire database or the folder for which you want to check for
Special Access folder rights.
3. In the User/Group pane, select All Users to see all users who have special access to the
folders you selected, or select a specific user.
4. The bottom panel displays the users who have special access according to your selections.
Special Access
Folders option
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The following illustration shows that the user jeditor has special access to the folder /Outside
Productions/Graphics. To view what specific role jeditor has, select the folder in the
Database pane.
To remove a role assigned for Special Access folders:
1. Click the Special Access Folders option.
2. Select the appropriate folder.
3. Select the user in the list in the lower pane.
4. Do one of the following:
tClick Remove Role.
tRight-click the user and select Remove Role.
The role for the user on that item is inherited from the parent user groups again.
User who
can access
Special
Access
Folders
Special
Access
Folder
Guidelines for User Management
143
Guidelines for User Management
This topic provides information and suggestions that can help you manage users and access. For
more information about managing user roles, with specific examples, see “Setting Up a Folder
Structure and a User Database” in Interplay Best Practices.
• The fundamental rule of user management is that explicit rights override inherited rights,
and database rights (set in the Database Management view) override CCS rights (set in the
User Management view and stored in the CCS). The exception to this rule is the user who is
a global Administrator set through the User Management view. This Administrator always
has Administrative rights on all folders, even if rights are set otherwise in the Manage
Database Roles view.
• By default, the root group Users is assigned the NoAccess role. That means that all user
subgroups (Everyone, Imported Users, Migrated Users and any other groups you add)
except for the Administrators and UNITY (under the Imported Users) have the role
NoAccess through inheritance. NoAccess means that a user cannot even log in to the server.
(The Administrators group is assigned the Administrator role and the UNITY group is
assigned the Read role.)
To override the NoAccess role, create another user group with a different role and copy the
user into that group.
cChanging the role for the Users group or the Everyone group (from No Access to Read, for
example) makes it impossible to take away this role from individual users. Avid
recommends that you do not change the role of the Users group or the Everyone group.
• You can assign a user to more than one user group (see “Setting or Changing a General Role
Assignment” on page 137) and each group can have a different role. As a result, the user
inherits different roles, which can be useful if a user contributes to different projects in
different ways.
• In the User Management view, you can set only group roles. You can set roles for individual
users in the Manage Database Roles view. See “Managing Database Roles” on page 134.
How the Interplay Engine Determines Access
The following steps describe how the Interplay Engine server determines access to an object
(usually a folder). This process can help you understand how to assign roles and access:
1. The server checks on the object in question to see if explicit rights are set. If a user is
assigned a role on the object, the evaluation stops and the server grants the user only the role
allowed and the accompanying rights, if any.
2. If no explicit permissions were found on the object, the server checks the inherited rights on
the object in question.
Guidelines for User Management
144
3. If there are no inherited permissions, the server checks the global user rights. In this case, the
server determines what role the user has from the CCS settings.
4. In case of a conflict where the evaluation sees a user with multiple roles, for example:
- the user has the read role through one group
- the user has the read/write role through another group
then the highest ranking role wins. In this case, the user gets the read/write role.
This is an example of an accumulated inherited role. The user’s overall role for the database is
the highest role he or she is assigned to in any group, unless otherwise specified in the Manage
Database Roles view. For example: If User A is in Group 1 (which is assigned a Read role) and
User A is also in Group 2 (which is assigned a No Access role), then User A has the accumulated
inherited role Read. When you select User A in the User Management view, this role is displayed
in the Roles pane.
5Site Settings
Site settings include configuration options for various Interplay components. The following
topics provide information about site settings:
•Defining Property Layouts
•Setting the Resolutions Available for Display
•Creating Custom Properties
•Configuring Remote Workgroups
•Configuring Categories
•Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name
•Interplay Production Services View
•Interplay Transfer Status View
•Interplay Transfer Settings View
•Workgroup Transfer Presets View
•Specifying Archive Settings
•Setting the Ownership for New Database Folders
•Enabling Interplay Synced Projects
•Setting Options for Deletion
•Viewing and Setting the Metadata Override Status
•Production Engine Bus Connector
Defining Property Layouts
Administrators can use the System Properties tab in the Property Layout view to specify which
properties are available for display in the following client applications:
• Interplay Access
• Interplay Assist
• Avid Instinct
• Avid editing systems (Interplay Window)
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These properties are sometimes referred to as system metadata. However, it is only part of the
metadata included in an Interplay database. For a description of available properties, see
“System Metadata Properties” on page 281.
For Interplay Access, administrators select which properties are displayed by default in the
Content tab and Object Inspector Property tabs. Users can then add other available properties to
these tabs. They can also use available properties in an extended search. For the other client
applications, the default properties are preset, and users can add other available properties as
columns in the Research panel.
By default, a set of properties categorized as Broadcast is selected and displayed. You can
customize this set or you can display an alternative set of properties, either Post or Film, and then
customize this set.
The following illustration is an example of properties displayed in the Properties tab of the
Interplay Access Object Inspector.
The administrator can also use the Property Layout view to do the following:
• Create custom columns. See “Creating Custom Properties” on page 150.
• Control the resolutions that are available for display. See “Setting the Resolutions Available
for Display” on page 148
To set the properties displayed in Interplay Access:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Property Layout
icon.
The Property Layout view opens.
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147
2. Select the database for which you want to set properties.
3. Click the System Properties tab.
4. From the Active Layout options, select one of the following layouts:
- Broadcast
-Post
-Film
This option determines which set of properties is displayed in the client applications.
5. Select and deselect properties as follows:
t(Option) To make a property available for users to add into displays on their own, and to
use in an Extended Search in Interplay Access, select the property in the Available
column. To make a property unavailable, deselect it.
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148
t(Option) To include a property in the Interplay Access Content tab, select the property in
the Content Default Column. To remove a property from the Content tab, deselect it.
t(Option) To include a property in the Interplay Access Object Inspector’s Properties tab,
select properties in the Inspector Default column. To remove a property from the Object
Inspector’s Properties tab, deselect it.
nYou must select a property in the Available column if you want to display the property in the
Object Inspector or the Content tab.
6. (Option) Click Revert to reset properties to the defaults.
7. Click Apply to save the changes.
The changes appear the next time you log in to Interplay Access.
Setting the Resolutions Available for Display
Administrators can use the Resolutions tab in the Property Layout view to specify which
resolutions are available for display in the following client applications:
• Interplay Access
• Interplay Assist
• Avid Instinct
• Avid editing systems (Interplay Window)
Lists of available resolutions appear in various places in these clients. For example, Interplay
Access includes a Resolutions dialog box that lets you select which resolutions to display as
columns in the Content view (available when you click the Presets button). Interplay Assist and
Avid Instinct include a dialog box that lets you select the columns you want to display in the
Research panel.
The Resolutions tab in the Property Layout view displays a list of all current Avid resolutions.
By default, the available resolutions that are currently used in the database are selected and are
displayed in bold.
Setting the Resolutions Available for Display
149
In some circumstances you might want to make additional resolutions available for display. For
example, if you are using Interplay Access to view the status of assets on remote workgroups,
and the database for the local workgroup does not include resolutions used on the remote
workgroup, you can select those resolutions for display in the local version of Interplay Access.
By default, the option “Enable used resolutions automatically” is selected. If you add an asset
associated with a previously unused resolution to the Interplay database, this option
automatically adds it to the default list. It also prevents you from deselecting currently used
resolutions (check boxes are grayed out). If you want to remove a currently used resolution from
the list for display, deselect this option.
To set the resolutions that are available for display:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Property Layout
icon.
The Property Layout view opens.
2. Select the database for which you want to set resolutions.
3. Click the Resolutions tab.
Resolutions that are used in the database are selected by default.
4. To add a resolution, select its check box in the Available column.
The check box for the selected resolution is colored green. The name of the resolution is not
in bold face.
Creating Custom Properties
150
5. To remove a resolution, deselect its check box in the Available column.
If you want to remove a default resolution, deselect “Enable used resolutions automatically”
and then deselect the resolution’s checkbox. Keep in mind that any new resolutions added to
the database will not be automatically selected as available for display.
6. Click Apply to save your changes.
The changes you made appear the next time you open a list of available resolutions in the client.
If a new resolution is available, a user needs to select it for display. If a resolution was displayed
as a column, the column might remain until the next time you log into the client.
Creating Custom Properties
Administrators can create custom properties and specify how they are displayed in the following
clients:
• Interplay Access
• Interplay Assist
• Avid Instinct
• Avid editing systems (Interplay Window)
Resolution in local
database:
grayed-out check box,
name in bold face Resolution not in local database:
grayed-out check box,
name not n bold face
Creating Custom Properties
151
By default, the user needs to type the value for a custom property. Administrators can import an
XML file that creates a list of values from which the user can select a value.
The following topics describe how to create and use custom properties:
•“Adding a Custom Property” on page 151
•“Setting Access Control for Custom Properties” on page 154
•“Working with Lists for Custom Properties” on page 156
Adding a Custom Property
You can add a custom property (custom metadata) that requires text to be entered as a value. The
same set of custom properties are available in all layouts (Broadcast, Post, and Film).
An entry in a custom property field is limited to 29 characters. If you use multi-byte characters,
this limit is lowered in a variable way.
Do not use an existing system property name when creating a custom property name, which can
cause problems when managing properties. System property names are listed in “System
Metadata Properties” on page 281.
You can also add a list of values from which users can choose (see “Working with Lists for
Custom Properties” on page 156).
To add a custom property:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Property Layout
icon.
The Property Layout view opens.
2. Select the database for which you want to set properties.
3. Click the Custom Meta Data tab.
Any previously defined custom properties are displayed.
4. In the Add Custom Meta Data Field text box, type a name for the custom property.
5. Click the green plus sign (+).
After a few seconds, the custom property appears in the list, with the Available column
selected. The following illustration shows a new Custom Property named “Teams.”
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152
When the Available column is selected, the custom property is available for users to add into
the application displays, and to use in an Extended search. If the user performs an All
Custom search, only the available custom properties are used in the search.
nDeselect the property in the Available column to turn off custom properties that you do not want
displayed in the properties lists. You cannot delete custom properties for this release but you can
turn off their display.
nFor information about the Text Search column, see “Disabling Search for Custom Properties” on
page 160
6. Select whether to include the property in the Content tab or the Object Inspector’s Properties
tab, as needed (Access only).
7. (Option) If you created an XML file for a list of values:
a. Click the Import button for the Custom Property.
The Import Custom Attribute Values dialog box opens.
b. Navigate to the XML file and click Open.
The Values and Default Value appear in the Custom Meta Data tab. The following
illustration shows the custom property “Teams” with a list of values and the default
value displayed.
Creating Custom Properties
153
8. Click Apply to save the added custom property and new layout.
9. (Option) If you want to prevent a user or group from supplying a value for a custom
property, change the role in the User Management view (see “Setting Access Control for
Custom Properties” on page 154).
The next time a user starts Interplay Access and logs in, the new custom property is displayed.
The following illustration shows the custom property “Teams” and its list of values, with the
default value highlighted.
To select a value, click an item in the list, then click Apply. In this example, a user associated the
value Team A to the folder.
Creating Custom Properties
154
Users can add a custom property as a column in Interplay Assist, Avid Instinct, and the Interplay
Window.
Setting Access Control for Custom Properties
You can control which users can supply a value for a custom property. This setting applies to
both typing a value and selecting one from a list. By default, users are allowed to supply a value.
To set access control for custom properties:
1. In the User Management section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the User
Management icon.
The User Management view opens.
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155
2. In the Users pane, select a group or user.
3. In the Additional Roles pane, select an option for “Can modify properties in Access”:
- Inherited: Allows the selected user or group to inherit the role of the parent group
- Yes: Allows users to type a value or to select from a menu.
- No: Prevents users from typing or selecting from a menu. Users can see the property and
its text box, but cannot supply a value for it.
If the options are grayed out, click the Edit button.
4. Click Apply.
Users pane Edit button
Additional Roles pane
Creating Custom Properties
156
Working with Lists for Custom Properties
You can create a custom property that includes a list of values from which users can choose (see
“Creating Custom Properties” on page 150). These lists are sometimes referred to as dictionaries
or taxonomies. The following topics provide more information about working with lists for
custom properties:
•“Creating and Editing a File for Custom Properties” on page 156
•“Removing a List for a Custom Property” on page 159
•“Using Custom Properties in an Extended Search” on page 159
Creating and Editing a File for Custom Properties
If you want to provide users with a list of values they can choose from, you need to create an
XML file and then import it into the Interplay Administrator. You can create a simple list of
options, or you can create a hierarchy of options and suboptions. For example, if a user wants to
label clips of sports teams, you can create a file so that the user can select a league, and then
select a team from that league. You can specify a default selection that is highlighted in the list.
The following example shows an XML file that creates a single level set of choices, with Team A
as the default value. Substitute the values you want for the description (which appears in the
Values column of the Custom Meta Data tab) and team names. Use the quotation marks as
shown.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE values SYSTEM "custom_attributes.dtd">
<values description="Teams">
<value name="Team A" default="true"/>
<value name="Team B"/>
<value name="Team C"/>
<value name="Team D"/>
</values>
The choices will appear in Interplay Access as shown in the following illustration:
Creating Custom Properties
157
The following example shows an XML file that creates a two-level hierarchy, with “League 1
Team A” as the default value.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE values SYSTEM "custom_attributes.dtd">
<values description="Teams">
<value name="League 1">
<value name="Team A" default="true"/>
<value name="Team B"/>
</value>
<value name="League 2">
<value name="Team C"/>
<value name="Team D"/>
</value>
</values>
The choices will appear in Interplay Access as shown in the following illustration:
Creating Custom Properties
158
nA custom property with a list of values is blank until you select a value. After you select a value,
you cannot return the field to a blank state. If appropriate for your custom property, you can
include a value in the list called “No Value” or something similar. To clear a value and
completely remove a list, see “Removing a List for a Custom Property” on page 159.
To create an XML file of values for a custom property:
1. Use a text editor or XML editor to create a file that matches one of the formats presented
above.
2. Name and save the file.
3. In the Custom Meta Data tab, create a custom property and import the file, as described in
“Adding a Custom Property” on page 151.
To edit a list of values:
1. Do one of the following:
tEdit the original file.
tExport the existing file by clicking Export in the Custom Properties tab and then edit it.
2. Save the file.
3. In the Custom Meta Data tab, select the custom property and import the file.
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159
Removing a List for a Custom Property
To remove a list of values for a custom property, you need to create and import a valid but empty
XML file.
To remove a list of values for a custom property:
1. Use a text editor or XML editor to create a file that matches the following format. Use
quotation marks as shown:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE values SYSTEM "custom_attributes.dtd">
<values/>
2. Save the file.
3. In the Custom Meta Data tab, select the custom property and import the file, as described in
“Adding a Custom Property” on page 151.
Using Custom Properties in an Extended Search
Users can select a value for a custom property in the Access Extended Search tab. If a user
selects a custom property that uses a list of values, and selects “is,” “is not,” “starts with, “or
“does not start with” as an operator, the list of values is displayed.
The following illustration shows a list of values for a search that uses the property “Team.”
Configuring Remote Workgroups
160
For more information on searching in Access, see the Interplay Access User’s Guide or the
Access Help.
Disabling Search for Custom Properties
In facilities with a large number of custom properties, the search process can be slowed down by
searching for text in custom properties. The Interplay Administrator now includes a column
named “Text Search” in the Custom Metadata tab of the Property Layout view, which lets you
enable or disable individual custom properties for text search.
A green check mark indicates the property is enabled for searching. Clear the check mark to
disable the property for searching.
This setting applies to all text searches: text-only (Search box), simple searches, and extended
searches.
Configuring Remote Workgroups
A large site can include more than one workgroup. When a workflow requires searching across
remote workgroups or performing workgroup-to-workgroup transfers through Interplay Access,
you must set up the local workgroup so that a user can access a remote workgroup. You set up
this access in the Configure Remote Workgroups view. You can add an Interplay Archive Engine
as a remote workgroup.
After access to a workgroup is properly configured, an Interplay Access user can select from a
list of remote workgroups when performing a search or a transfer. For example, databases for
properly configured remote workgroups are listed in the Interplay Access Send to Workgroup
dialog box.
Configuring Remote Workgroups
161
nConfiguring a remote workgroup in this view is not needed for transfer from Interplay Assist,
Avid Instinct, or Avid editing systems.
For complete information on transferring Avid assets, see the Interplay Transfer Setup and
User’s Guide or the Interplay Transfer Help.
nYou can configure a maximum of 10 hostnames. For example, you can configure for searching
five remote workgroups and five Nearchive servers for a total of 10.
To set up access to a remote workgroup:
1. For transfers, make sure the Transfer Engines for both workgroups are correctly configured.
2. Make sure the list of users for the remote workgroup includes the user name and password of
users in the local workgroup who require access to the remote workgroup. For transfers,
make sure the user name and password match exactly, and that Administrator passwords also
match exactly.
In Interplay Access, if the local user’s account is not included in the remote user database, a
login screen appears. If you log in with an account on the remote workgroup, you can add
the remote workgroup to the accessible remote servers list but you cannot transfer to the
workgroup.
3. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Configure
Remote Workgroups icon.
The Configure Remote Workgroups view opens.
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162
4. Select a database from the Available Databases list.
5. In the New server pane, add information about the remote workgroup you want to access.
a. Select the Host Type:
- Interplay Server/Remote Search—to add access to a remote Interplay workgroup
- TransferManager—to add access to a Workgroup 4 TransferManager
- MediaManager—to add access to a Workgroup 4 workgroup or Nearchive™ system
- Interplay Server / 3d Party Search—to add access for a third-party plug-in. The
plug-in needs to be properly installed before you can configure it. See “Using
Third-Party Search Plug-Ins” in the Interplay Access User’s Guide or Help.
b. Type information for the remote workgroup. The fields vary, depending on the Host
Type you selected.
- For the Server, you can type the remote workgroup’s IP address instead of the host
name.
- For Database, select AvidWG for an Interplay Engine or AvidAM for an Interplay
Archive Engine.
- The Nickname is displayed in the Interplay Access Remote Search list and must be
less than 255 characters. If you do not supply a Nickname, the Interplay Engine
creates one that combines the host name and the database.
Configuring Categories
163
c. Click Add.
The Server name and other information about the remote workgroup appears in the list
of accessible remote servers.
To remove a remote workgroup from the accessible list:
1. Click the name of the remote workgroup in the list.
2. Click Remove.
Configuring Categories
Categories provide a grouping mechanism for the data that is stored in the database. Categories
are displayed in Interplay Access, Interplay Assist, and Avid Instinct. A user can assign database
items to these categories and use these categories in a search. You can double-click a category to
view a list of the category’s items.
By default, no categories are configured in the Interplay Administrator.
cThere is no option to rename a category. The database items identify the categories they
belong to by the category name, so this name cannot be changed once it is used.
Adding Categories
To make categories available in Interplay Access:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Configure
Categories icon.
The Configure Categories view opens.
Configuring Categories
164
2. Select a database from the Available Databases list.
3. In the New Categories text box, type one name for a category, or type a comma-separated list
(commas and spaces are automatically removed).
4. Click Add, and then click Apply.
After refreshing Interplay Access, the categories you specified are visible in the Categories
pane.
When performing a search, you can use a Category name to locate items that belong to that
category.
Configuring Categories
165
Removing Categories
Removing a category only removes it from the Configured Categories list in the Interplay
Administrator. Objects in the database that have this category keep it, even if it is not listed
anymore. If an item was assigned to a category but you removed that category in the Interplay
Administrator, users are informed that the category is not valid anymore in the Interplay Access
Categories tab.
To remove a category:
1. In the Interplay Administrator, click Configure Categories.
2. In the Configure Categories view, from the Configured Categories list, select the category
you want to delete from the Configured Categories list.
3. Click Remove.
4. Click Apply to save the changes, or Revert to discard your changes.
You must refresh Interplay Access to see that the category is no longer available.
Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name
166
Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name
The Server Hostname Settings view lets you set the information described in the following table.
Group Setting Description
Interplay Production
Services Settings
Interplay Production Services
Engine
Enter the name of the Interplay Production Services
Engine so that you can run the Interplay Production
Services view (see “Interplay Production Services
View” on page 171) or use any Interplay Production
Services. For more information, see the Interplay
Production Services Setup and User’s Guide.
Interplay Delivery Receiver Host
and Port
Enter the name of the system where the Interplay
Delivery Receiver service is installed so that you can
receive transfers from the Delivery service. By default
the port is 33321. For more information, see the
Interplay Production Services Setup and User’s
Guide.
Workgroup and Media
Indexer Settings
Workgroup Name Enter the name of the workgroup so that Interplay
Access can locate the Media Indexer, which is used to
monitor shared storage. For more information, see the
Avid Service Framework User’s Guide.
cThe Workgroup Name field is case sensitive
and the name must exactly match the
workgroup name used by the Avid Service
Framework. You can view or change this
workgroup name in the Avid Interplay
Workgroup Properties, which is an
application that is part of the Avid Service
Framework.
Check Media Indexer Click the Check Media Indexer button to check
whether the Media Indexer that monitors shared
storage is running.
• If the Media Indexer is running, the system
displays the message “Connected to Media
Indexer successfully” in the Notifications area at
the bottom of the Interplay Administrator window.
• If there is a problem, an error message is
displayed, such as “No lookup service found for
workgroup.” See “Configuring Avid Interplay
Media Indexers” in the Interplay Best Practices
Guide.
Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name
167
Media Indexer AMA
Shared-Storage Location
Enter the name of the shared-storage location in which
Media Indexer looks for AMA .spaaf files. Enter the
name as a full UNC path. This must be the same
location that you identified for the .spaaf files in the
Media Indexer web interface. For more information,
see “Using AMA Material in Interplay” in the
Interplay Best Practices Guide.
Fallback Shared-Storage Server Enter the computer name of the shared-storage server.
This name is automatically entered after the first
connection from the Interplay Engine to the local
shared-storage system (the shared-storage system
configured in the same subnet as the Interplay
Engine), so in most cases you do not need to enter this
computer name. Usually the Interplay Engine gets the
name of the shared-storage server from the Media
Indexer. If this is not possible, the Interplay Engine
gets the name of the shared-storage server from the
Fallback Shared-Storage Server setting. Use this
setting in case you need to change the name of the
shared-storage server.
In a multiple ISIS workgroup, use the name of the
local shared-storage system.
For Interplay Sphere, the Remote Upload Service
requires that the name of the Fallback Shared Storage
Server matches the name of the ISIS System Director
server. If the name does not match, the system displays
the following error message:
“check to see if the <ISIS System Director server
name>/news/avidmediafiles/mxf… has enough...”
Group Setting Description
Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name
168
Server MI Connection URL Click the Add button to add one or more Media
Indexer servers. The following applications use this
setting to locate the Media Indexer servers:
• Avid editing applications
• Production Services Transcode provider
• STP Encode
• Interplay Transfer engine
• Interplay Access
• Avid Instinct
nInterplay Access uses the Workgroup Name
option.
For more information, see “Configuring Media
Indexer Changes for Interplay v3.0” in the Interplay
Best Practices Guide.
Stream Server Settings The computer name of the server that is running the
Interplay Streaming Server, a Windows service that is
used to play clips for WAN browsing. You need to
enter this computer name after you install the Interplay
Streaming Server software. See “Configuring the
Interplay Streaming Server” on page 170.
To change the name of the shared-storage server:
1. Clear the field by deleting the name of the
previously used shared-storage server.
2. Click Apply Changes.
The name is automatically entered after the first
connection from the Interplay Engine to the local
shared-storage system.
Group Setting Description
Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name
169
To set server hostnames and other workgroup information:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Server
Hostname Settings icon.
The Server Hostname Settings view opens.
2. Supply the information described in the above table.
3. Where appropriate, click Apply Changes.
Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name
170
Configuring the Interplay Streaming Server
After you install the Interplay Streaming Server software, you need to enter the name of the
computer on which you installed the software.
nBeginning with Interplay v3.1, the Interplay Streaming Server installer is no longer included on
the Interplay Server Installer. The Streaming Server is still supported on Interplay v3.1 and later.
You can obtain the installer from the Interplay v3.0 or v3.0.5 Server Installer.
cAfter installation, exclude the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Avid\Avid Interplay
Streaming Server from scanning by any virus protection software. Scanning for virus
protection could cause severe disruptions to the Interplay Stream Server and could cause it
to shut down.
nIn Interplay v2.4, the Interplay Streaming Server was re-engineered to directly play
MPEG-4/H.263 and H.264 video media and MPEG1 layer 2 audio media. There is no longer
any need to use the Publishing service or Workflow Engine to create QuickTime reference movies
for streaming play. Double-click a clip that is associated with supported proxy media, and the
clip plays in the Interplay Access Monitor.
For Interplay v2.4, the name of the stream server on the Avid Server Installation USB flash drive
is “Avid Interplay Streaming Server” and the name of the installed Windows service is “Avid
Interplay Streaming Server Service.” For Interplay v2.3 and earlier, the name was “Avid
Interplay Stream Server.”
To add an Interplay Streaming Server to a workgroup:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Server
Hostname Settings icon.
The Server Hostname Settings view opens.
2. In the Stream Server Settings area, click the Add button.
The Add Stream Server and Share dialog box opens.
3. Type the computer name of the system that is running the Interplay Stream Server. You do
not have to type \\ before the name of the server.
4. Click OK.
Interplay Production Services View
171
The computer name is displayed in the Server Hostname Settings view.
nThe share name listed does not apply to the Interplay Streaming Server v2.4 (it was used in the
Interplay Stream Server v2.3 and earlier). The installer for the Interplay Streaming Server v2.4
does not create this share. However, you cannot remove this share name.
To rename an Interplay Streaming Server:
1. In the Stream Server Settings area, click the Rename button.
The Rename Stream Server and Share dialog box opens.
2. Type the computer name of the system that is now running the Interplay Streaming Server.
You do not have to type \\ before the name of the server.
3. Click OK.
The computer name is displayed in the Server Hostname Settings view.
To delete an Interplay Streaming Server:
1. In the Stream Server Settings area, click the Remove button.
2. Click OK.
The Interplay Stream Server is deleted.
Interplay Production Services View
The Interplay Production Services view is a tool for administering the Interplay Production
Services Engine and monitoring job status. This view provides settings for the following tasks:
• Filtering jobs to monitor
• Registering providers
• Installing services
• Setting up users
• Setting up profiles
Interplay Transfer Status View
172
nThese options are also available from the Admin Tool in the Interplay Production Services
application dialog box.
Before you can use the Interplay Production Services view, the Interplay Production Services
Engine for the workgroup must be configured in the Server Hostname Settings view. For details,
see “Setting Server Hostnames and the Workgroup Name” on page 166. Also, the Interplay
Production Services Engine must be running.
If the Interplay Production Services connection to the Interplay Production Services Engine fails,
the login panel is displayed to let you manually attempt to login again.
For details on installing and using the Interplay Production Services Engine, see Interplay
Production Services Setup and User's Guide.
Interplay Transfer Status View
The Interplay Transfer Status view is used for monitoring the progress of transactions being
handled by one or more Interplay Transfer Engines in the workgroup. It allows administrators to
quickly view all the relevant details for each transaction. You can choose to have the status
window open at all times in their control center.
nThe list of Interplay Transfer Engines available from the Interplay Transfer Status filter is
created from the Interplay Transfer Settings. For details, see “Interplay Transfer Settings View”
on page 172.
For descriptions of the various filters and configuration settings, see the Interplay Transfer Setup
and User's Guide.
Interplay Transfer Settings View
The Interplay Transfer Settings view lets an administrator configure the names and locations of
the Interplay Transfer Engines in the workgroup. The settings determine which cache server
monitors which Transfer Engines and Transfer Engine enabled devices. The Interplay Transfer
Status view uses these settings to access the Transfer Engines in the workgroup.
For procedures that explain these settings, see the Interplay Transfer Setup and User's Guide.
Workgroup Transfer Presets View
173
Workgroup Transfer Presets View
When performing workgroup transfers, you can use presets to select a predefined destination for
the transferring files. Transfer presets provide the name of the remote workgroup, a destination
workspace, and a destination folder for the metadata. You can also choose whether to display the
preset in the Send to Workgroup dialog box.
nUsers with Administration rights can change the configuration to another destination in the Send
to Workgroup dialog box in Interplay Access.
For procedures that explain the Workgroup Transfer Presets view, see the Interplay Transfer
Setup and User's Guide.
Specifying Remote Servers for Asset Tracking
If your facility includes more than one workgroup, you can use Interplay Access to display
information for assets that are shared by different workgroups. For example, you can determine
if assets stored in one workgroup are correctly archived in an archive workgroup.
In the Interplay Administrator, you need to specify the name of the Interplay Engine server for
the remote workgroup.
For complete information about asset tracking, see the Interplay Access User’s Guide.
To specify a remote server for asset tracking:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Asset
Tracking/Archive Settings icon.
The Asset Tracking/Archive Settings view opens.
Specifying Archive Settings
174
2. If you want to track assets in a non-archive server, in the Online server name text box, type
the computer name of the Interplay Engine server and click Add.
The server name is added to the list of configured hosts.
3. If you want to track assets on an archive server, in the Archive Server name text box, type
the computer name of the Interplay Archive Engine.
4. Click Apply Changes.
Specifying Archive Settings
The Asset Tracking/Archive Settings view lets you select options for how the Interplay Engine
operates with the Interplay Archive Engine and the Archive Provider. The view displays different
settings, depending on where you are logged in.
Specifying Archive Settings
175
If you are logged into an Interplay Archive Engine, the settings include:
• Allow duplicate media files )
- This option lets you choose whether the Archive Provider archives duplicate versions of
the media.
• Allow Metadata Archive
- This option lets you choose whether the AAF metadata for Avid assets is sent to the tape
archive along with the media.
If you are logged into an Interplay Engine, the settings include:
• Archive server name
• Archive Segment size
• Use best effort restore
These settings are described in the following topics. For more information about using an
Interplay Archive Engine, see Interplay Best Practices and the Interplay Production Services
Setup and User’s Guide.
Archiving Duplicate Versions of Media
By default, the Archive Provider does not archive duplicate versions of media, however, you can
choose to have it do so.
When you archive a master clip, subclip, or sequence for the first time, the Archive Provider
automatically archives all the associated media. If you are archiving another subclip or sequence
that refers to the original master clip, the Archive Provider does not automatically archive a
duplicate version of the associated media. The Archive Provider archives all of the metadata
associated with the new subclip or sequence but it does not archive duplicate versions of the
media. Selecting “Allow duplicate media file(s)” tells the Archive Provider to create multiple
versions of the media files.
The Interplay Archive Engine avoids duplication by default. If you prefer to have the Archive
Engine archive duplicate media files, you can use the Interplay Administrator to change the
setting.
This setting appears only when you log in to an Archive Engine database.
To change whether archive operations create duplicate media:
1. Open the Interplay Administrator and log into the system running the Archive Engine.
2. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Asset
Tracking/Archive Settings icon.
Specifying Archive Settings
176
The Asset Tracking/Archive Settings view opens.
3. Select the Archive database AvidAM from the database list.
The system displays the Asset Tracking/Archive Settings window for the Interplay Archive
Engine.
4. Select one of the following settings for “Allow duplicated media files” option:
- No — When you archive an Avid asset the first time, the Archive Provider archives all
associated media. If you archive other assets that reference the same media, the Archive
Provider archives the metadata but does not archive duplicate versions of the associated
media (default setting).
- Yes — The Archive Provider archives the associated media each time you archive an
asset. If you delete an asset that references the duplicated media, the system asks if you
want to delete the associated media files. If you choose the delete the media, the system
deletes all copies of the media.
5. Click Apply Changes.
Specifying Archive Settings
177
Adding AAF Metadata to an Archive
The Asset Tracking/Archive Settings view on the Interplay Archive Engine includes an option
labeled “Allow Metadata Archive.” If you select Yes, AAF metadata for Avid assets is sent to the
tape archive along with the media. This option requires special implementation by the tape
archive vendor. If you select No, only media is sent to tape (the default). This option is supported
for the SGL FlashNet™ solution. Consult with your archive solution provider to determine if your
installation supports this feature.
This setting appears only when you log in to an Archive Engine database.
Specifying the Archive Server, Segment Size, and Restore Process
These settings appear when you log in to an Interplay Engine online database (AvidWG). You
must set the name of the Archive Engine server. You might need to set the other options,
depending on your workflow.
To specify Archive settings for an online database:
1. Open the Avid Interplay Administrator and log into the system running the Interplay Engine.
2. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the
Asset Tracking/Archive Settings icon.
The Asset Tracking/Archive Settings view opens.
3. Select the AvidWG database from the database list.
The Archive Settings area displays these options.
4. In the Archive Settings area, do the following:
tIn the Archive server name text box, type the name of the computer running the Avid
Interplay Archive Engine.
tIn the Archive Segment size (frames) text box, type the segment size used for partial
restore operations, in frames. The default value is 1800 frames.
nIf you later change the Archive Segment size, the new size applies only to new archives. Partial
restores of media that is already archived use the original segment size.
Setting the Ownership for New Database Folders
178
tUse best effort restore - if you select this option, a restore process restores as many files
as it can without returning errors. This option requires special implementation by
supported third-party vendors to ignore any missing files that are no longer in the
archive storage. If you do not select this option, then the restore process fails when there
are any missing files (the default).
cThe “Use best effort restore” option is not supported by all third-party archive vendors. If
you select this option and your archive vendor supports it, then a restore process restores as
many files as it can without returning errors.
5. Click Apply Changes at the bottom of the window.
Setting the Ownership for New Database Folders
The Ownership Behavior view lets you determine how the owner is assigned when a user creates
a new Interplay folder in the following applications:
• Interplay Access
• Interplay Assist
• Avid Instinct
• Interplay Window
• Interplay checkin from Avid editing system
By default, the user who creates a folder is set as the owner. As the owner, the user by default has
read/write/delete permission on the folder. In Interplay Access, a problem could develop in the
following situation:
1. Editor 1 owns a folder named Final that contains a sequence named Final_Sequence and has
read/write/delete permission on the folder.
2. Editor 2 has read/write permission on the folder, but not delete rights.
3. Editor 2 creates a folder named Final_2 within folder Final, and thus has read/write/delete
permission on the new folder.
4. Editor 2 duplicates Final_Sequence, moves it into folder Final_2 and renames it
Final_Sequence_2. Referenced assets are selected to be displayed in folder Final_2 (Tools >
Options > Filter Settings), so the master clips that make up the sequence are displayed in the
folder.
5. Editor 2 deletes Final_Sequence_2, its master clips, and its associated media.
As a result, all media for the original Sequence_Final is also deleted (unless there is a reservation
active on the material).
Setting the Ownership for New Database Folders
179
To prevent this situation, you can set an option so that a new folder is owned by the same owner
as the parent folder. If this option is set, in the previous example, Editor 2 inherits read/write
permissions on the new folder but does not have delete permission and thus cannot delete the
sequence or master clips.
nAn administrator can change the owner and permissions for a folder after it is created. For more
information, see the Interplay Access User’s Guide or Help.
To specify how ownership is set for new folders:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Ownership
Behavior icon.
The Ownership Behavior view opens.
2. Select the database for which you want to set the behavior.
3. Select the option you want.
- “Set creator as owner” is the default.
- “Set same owner as parent folder” sets the owner of a new folder to be the owner of the
folder in which the new folder was created.
4. Click Apply.
The change takes effect immediately.
5. To undo your change, click Revert, then click Apply.
Enabling Interplay Synced Projects
180
Enabling Interplay Synced Projects
Interplay Synced Projects provide you with a way to link your bins and projects in Media
Composer or NewsCutter with the folder structure for assets stored in your Interplay database.
Before you can use synced projects, you need to enable the Synced Projects setting in Interplay.
Folders for Interplay Synced Projects are indicated by a synced project icon. Media assets in
these folders update as users modify the projects in Media Composer and NewsCutter.
Synced project asset folders in Avid Access, with the synced project icon
For more information about using synced projects, see “Interplay Synced Projects” in the Help
for your Avid editing application.
To enable synced projects:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Synced Project
Settings icon.
The Synced Project Settings view opens.
Setting Options for Deletion
181
2. Select Enable, and then click Apply.
The application enables synced projects for the selected workgroup.
Setting Options for Deletion
The Delete Behavior view let you set options for the Delete dialog box, as described in the
following topics:
•“Understanding the Deletion Process” on page 181
•“Scheduling the Deletion of Database Assets” on page 188
•“Setting Options for Deleting Only OMF Media, Only MXF Media, or Both” on page 191
•“Setting Options for Deleting Locked Media” on page 191
•“Activating the Option to Delete Referenced Assets” on page 192
•“Using the Delete Kept Media Tool” on page 192
Understanding the Deletion Process
When you check in a master clip or other Avid asset to Interplay, Interplay stores the original
asset in the database and creates identically named, visible assets in one or more Interplay
folders. These visible assets are links to the assets that are stored in the database. Links (also
referred to as representations) are the visible means of working with assets. You can have more
than one link to the same asset.
The assets that are stored in the database are referred to as database assets. Database assets
themselves are not visible in the user interface, but are represented by links.
Setting Options for Deletion
182
This distinction between links and database assets is important in understanding how the deletion
process works and the how it is affected by a deletion schedule. The following topics describe
the deletion process:
•“Three Parts of the Deletion Process” on page 182
•“Changes in Interplay v2.4 (Asynchronous Deletion)” on page 183
•“Default Deletion Schedule and Custom Deletion Schedules” on page 184
•“Changes to the Orphan Clips Folder” on page 185
•“How Asynchronous Deletion Works with the Orphan Clips Folder” on page 186
•“Logs for Deleted Media and Metadata” on page 186
•“New Properties for Deletion” on page 187
For information about deletion workflows and recommendations, see “Developing an Interplay
Delete Strategy” in the Interplay Best Practices Guide.
Three Parts of the Deletion Process
If you select to delete assets and media in the Interplay Access Delete dialog box, the deletion
process consists of three major parts:
1. Media files for assets that are not reserved are deleted from shared storage.
2. Links for assets that are not reserved or referenced by other assets are deleted from the
database.
V1 media
Clip 1
(link)
Clip 1 copy
(link)
Clip 1
database asset A1 media
A2 media
Setting Options for Deletion
183
3. After the last link for an asset is deleted, database assets are deleted unless they reference
online media.
The following illustration shows the completed deletion.
The last part of the process is the part that takes the longest time and places the heaviest load on
the Interplay Engine. In addition, this part of the process does not provide immediate feedback,
as opposed to media deletion (you can see the files deleted from shared storage) and link deletion
(you can see links are deleted from the Access folder structure).The Interplay Access Delete
dialog box remains open until the entire deletion process is complete, which results in wasted
time for a media manager.
nSome files associated with database assets, such as AAF files and headframes, are deleted after
the next complete backup.
Changes in Interplay v2.4 (Asynchronous Deletion)
In Interplay v2.4 and later, the last part of the deletion process (database asset deletion) is
disassociated from the first two parts of the deletion process. When the last link to a database
asset is deleted, the Interplay Engine moves the last link for the database object to the Orphan
Clips folder. This link points to the database asset.
V1 media
Clip 1
(link)
Clip 1 copy
(link)
Clip 1
database asset A1 media
A2 media
V1 media
Clip 1
(link)
Clip 1 copy
(link)
Clip 1
database asset A1 media
A2 media
Setting Options for Deletion
184
You can think of deletion prior to v2.4 as synchronous, because all three parts of the process
occur at approximately the same time, during the interactive part of the deletion (that is, while
the Delete dialog box is open). Deletion in v2.4 and later is asynchronous, because deletion of
the database assets takes place after the interactive part of the deletion.
cIt is important to remember that in Interplay v2.4 and later the deletion process is always
asynchronous. Even if you do not select a custom deletion schedule, deletion of database
assets is separated from interactive deletion of links and media.
Default Deletion Schedule and Custom Deletion Schedules
Deletion of links in the Orphan Clips folder and the database assets always take place
asynchronously, during a scheduled time span. You can use the default deletion schedule or you
can set a custom schedule in the Interplay Administrator.
Default deletion schedule: The default deletion schedule is set as a 24-hour time span (00:00 to
24:00). In this case, the database asset deletion takes place at approximately the same time that
you run the deletion operation. As a result, links to the database assets might not be visible in the
Orphan Clips folder because they are deleted immediately after the interactive part of the
deletion. Links with online media are moved to the Kept Media folder and are not deleted (see
“Changes to the Orphan Clips Folder” on page 185).This default time span results in the least
disruption for established workflows, but it does not lessen the load that the deletion operation
places on the Interplay Engine.
For the default deletion schedule, no options in the Scheduled Deletion Options section are
selected. This is important to keep in mind if you disable a custom deletion schedule with one or
more options selected. The inactive selected options do not indicate the default schedule options
but the last custom schedule options selected.
V1 media
Clip 1
(link)
Clip 1 copy
(link)
Clip 1
database asset A1 media
A2 media
Clip 1
(link)
Orphan Clips folder
Setting Options for Deletion
185
Custom deletion schedule: To take advantage of the improved process and lessen the load on
the Interplay Engine, you need to set a custom schedule with one or more time spans. Scheduling
a deletion time span results in a faster initial deletion operation and less impact on other
Interplay Engine operations. You set a custom time span in the Interplay Administrator.
Additional options are also available. See “Scheduling the Deletion of Database Assets” on
page 188.
Scheduled deletion works similarly on the Interplay Archive Engine. On the Interplay Archive
Engine, media is flagged for deletion, but the deletion itself takes place through the third-party
archive system.
Changes to the Orphan Clips Folder
cThe function of the Orphan Clips folder and the status of its contents changed in Interplay
v2.4.
Previously the Orphan Clips folder contained links for assets deleted or removed from Interplay
folders that still referenced media files on shared storage (“classic” orphan clips). Now, in
addition to these links, the Orphan Clips folder also contains links for assets whose database
assets are scheduled for deletion, whether or not the assets have online media.
nIf your deletion time span is set for the default 24-hour period, you might not see links for assets
scheduled for deletion in the Orphan Clips folder, because the database assets are deleted
immediately after the interactive part of the deletion.
You can distinguish links that have online media from links that do not have online media by
displaying the Media Status column. A red icon indicates media offline. Double-click the
column head to sort by the values of the column.
Links with
offline media
Links with
online media
Setting Options for Deletion
186
Starting in Interplay v2.4, the Orphan Clips folder includes the following subfolders:
•Kept Media folder: You can select an option to include deletion of online media in the
scheduled deletion (“Permanently delete assets and associated online media from the
Orphan Clips folder”). If you do not select this option, the scheduled deletion moves any
links with online media to a subfolder in the Orphan Clips folder named “Kept Media.” This
option to delete is not selected by default, so even if you do not enable custom deletion, the
Interplay Engine creates a Kept Media folder when needed. You can manually delete clips
and media from this folder at a time that is appropriate for your workflow.
•Failed to Delete folder: If the deletion process is not able to delete a clip or its media (for
example, if a clip is corrupted), the Interplay Engine creates a subfolder in the Orphan Clips
folder named “Failed to Delete” and moves assets it could not delete to this folder. You can
try to manually delete clips and media from this folder as well, but you might need to
determine a different method of deleting these clips and media. For example, check the
shared-storage system workspace to make sure the Server Execution User has delete rights.
These folders are useful in two ways:
• It is easier to browse and search a large Orphan Clips folder for assets with online media and
assets that cannot be deleted.
• The scheduled deletion process ignores both of these folders, resulting in improved
performance.
You can manually delete assets from the Orphan Clips folder at any time.
How Asynchronous Deletion Works with the Orphan Clips Folder
During the scheduled time spans, the Interplay Engine reviews the objects in the Orphan Clips
folder and deletes the links, the database assets, and the media (if the option “Permanently delete
assets and associated online media from the Orphan Clips folder” is selected). At the end of a
time span, the Interplay Engine keeps a record of where it stopped. If not all eligible assets were
deleted, it continues from this position at the start of the next time span. This process also takes
place if the scheduled deletion is interrupted, such as for system maintenance.
Logs for Deleted Media and Metadata
Deletions are logged in two files:
• AvDeletes.log. This log lists information about media deleted from shared storage.
• AvMetaDataDelete.log This log lists information about assets (metadata) deleted from
Orphan Clips or any other folder. Scheduled deletions are noted.
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187
The following are examples of AvMetaDataDelete logs:
• When a user deletes metadata that is moved to the Orphan Clips folder:
[Thu Mar 10 12:12:17 2011] User 'Administrator' on host 'MUC-TReichgr'
deleting metadata:
[Thu Mar 10 12:12:17 2011] From '/Projects/Test3/'
[Thu Mar 10 12:12:17 2011] 'LHJU MOUNTIES -Vakantiekamp' handle 1921
moved to Orphan Clips
[Thu Mar 10 12:12:17 2011] 'MOUNTIES - vakantiekamp' handle 1924
moved to Orphan Clips
• When a scheduled deletion permanently deletes metadata from the Orphan Clips folder:
[Tue Mar 08 13:45:00 2011] Scheduled deletion: deleting metadata from
Orphan Clips:
[Tue Mar 08 13:45:00 2011] 'Film BKG.mov' handle 1368 user
'Administrator'
[Tue Mar 08 13:45:00 2011] 'computer BLUE internet NN BG.mov' handle
1361 user 'Administrator'
• When an administrator user permanently deletes metadata from the Orphan Clips folder:
[Thu Mar 17 20:16:10 2011] User 'Administrator' on host 'MUC-TReichgr'
deleting metadata instantly:
[Thu Mar 17 20:16:10 2011] From '/Orphan Clips/'
[Thu Mar 17 20:16:10 2011] 'Aftiteling' handle 2100
The AvMove.log file includes entries for links moved to the Kept Media folder.
New Properties for Deletion
The Interplay v2.4 database includes three new properties that are set only for assets in the
Orphan Clips folder that were interactively deleted (that is, manually through the Delete dialog
box):
• Date Deleted: Displays the date and time the last link was deleted.
• Deleted By: Displays the user name of the person who deleted the last link.
• Original Path: Displays the folder path for an asset whose last link was deleted.
To display these properties, an Interplay administrator has to make them available in the Property
Layout view. An Interplay Access user has to select the properties for display as entries in the
Object Inspector or as columns in the Assets pane.
Setting Options for Deletion
188
Scheduling the Deletion of Database Assets
Beginning with Interplay Engine v2.4, you can schedule custom time spans and set other options
for deletion of database assets in the Interplay Administrator. This feature lets you schedule a
significant part of the load generated on the Interplay Engine by deletion operations to take place
during times of low activity.
nEven if you do not schedule a custom deletion, deletion in v2.4 and later is asynchronous,
because deletion of the database assets takes place after the interactive part of the deletion. For
more information, see “Understanding the Deletion Process” on page 181.
To schedule the deletion of database assets:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Delete Behavior
icon.
The Scheduled Deletion Options section is at the bottom of the view.
2. In the Scheduled Deletion Options section, select “Enable custom schedule.”
If you select “Enable custom schedule,” select options, and later deselect “Enable custom
schedule,” the options you selected are disabled, but remain set in case you want to enable
them again. However, the selected options are not in effect. Instead, the default deletion
schedule is in effect. See “Default Deletion Schedule and Custom Deletion Schedules” on
page 184.
3. Select the options that you want:
- Allow scheduled deletions during database backups
Setting Options for Deletion
189
By default, a scheduled deletion stops when an Interplay backup begins, and resumes
when the backup ends or at the next scheduled deletion. Select this option to allow both
processes to operate at the same time.
- Permanently delete assets and associated online media from the Orphan Clips folder
Select this option if you want to include assets with media in the scheduled deletion. If
this option is not selected, links with media are moved to the Kept Media folder.
- Delay scheduled deletion by at least xdays from the asset deletion date
Select this option if you want to delay the scheduled deletion by a specified number of
days. You can specify 1 to 30 days. This option gives you the opportunity to review the
contents of the Orphan Clips folder before the scheduled deletion. To help determine
which links will be deleted, you can check the asset deletion date in the Date Deleted
column (see “New Properties for Deletion” on page 187).
For example, imagine that you selected this option with a time period of 1 day (24
hours), and a deletion is scheduled for 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. It's 6 p.m. Friday, March 25, and
you delete a group of assets and media. The assets are moved to the Orphan Clips folder
and scheduled for deletion at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, March 27 (32 hours later). This
scheduled deletion will include any assets deleted at or before 2 a.m. on Saturday,
March 26 (24 hours before the start of the scheduled deletion).
The following diagram illustrates this example.
4. Specify a time span for the deletion.
By default, a 24-hour time span is specified (00:00 to 24:00). This setting means deletion of
database assets take place at approximately the same time that the links and media are
deleted. You should set a more limited time span to cover a time when the Interplay Engine
is not being used very much. For example, a facility might set the time span for 2:00 am to
4:00 am.
One time span must always be present. Each time span is limited to one day (24 hours). If
you want to schedule a deletion period that extends from one day to another, such as 11:00
pm to 1:00 am, you need to create two time spans:
- One time span from 23:00 to 23:59
- One time span from 00:00 to 01:00
2 am
SundayFriday Saturday
2 am6 pm
xx x
Assets scheduled
for deletion
Scheduled
Deletion
1 day (24 hours)
Setting Options for Deletion
190
Click Add Time Span to create more than one time span. Click Remove Time Span to
remove the associated time span. Overlapping time spans are not allowed.
In addition to a specific time span, you can select one or more days for that time span. The
following illustration shows an example of three different time spans.
- The first time span specifies deletions to take place from midnight until 4:00 am every
day of the week.
- The second time span specifies deletions from 4:01 am until 8 am every Saturday and
Sunday.
- The third time span specifies deletions from 8:30 pm until 11:59 pm every Monday,
Wednesday, and Saturday.
5. When you are satisfied with your settings, click Apply.
Note the following:
• By default, all days are selected.
• You can use 00:00 for the start of a time span and 24:00 for the end of a time span.
• Time spans can “touch.” For example, you can schedule one time span from 02:00 to 04:00
and another from 04:00 to 06:00.
• Time spans are not allowed to overlap. For example, you cannot schedule a time span from
midnight until 4:00 am every day and also schedule a time span from 2 am to 4 am on
Saturday and Sunday. If you schedule an overlap, a message describes the problem and how
to correct it.
• Scheduling deletion for specific days requires Interplay Engine v2.5. If you connect to an
Interplay Engine running v2.4 or earlier, the days of the week check boxes are displayed but
are inactive.
Setting Options for Deletion
191
Setting Options for Deleting Only OMF Media, Only MXF Media, or Both
If a clip is associated with both OMF and MXF media, you might want to delete only the OMF
media or only the MXF media. You can enable an option in the Interplay Administrator so that
the Delete dialog box gives users the option of which media format to delete.
To set an option that allows deleting only OMF media or only MXF media:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Delete Behavior
icon.
2. In the OMF media handling section, select “Allow user choice for deleting OMF/MXF
media.”
3. Click Apply.
The next time a user logs into Interplay Access and opens the Delete dialog box, the
following options are displayed:
- MXF and OMF media (default)
- Only OMF media
- Only MXF media
Setting Options for Deleting Locked Media
Editors working in an Avid editing application can use the Lock feature to lock a clip. This can
cause a problem if the lock is no longer needed and the administrator wants to delete the asset.
The administrator can set an option to control how Interplay Access handles locked clips during
a Delete operation. The default setting is for Interplay Access to skip any locked files.
To set an option for deleting locked media:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Delete Behavior
icon.
2. In the Locked media handling section, select one of the following options:
- Allow user choice in Delete dialog: Two options are available in the Delete dialog box:
“Skip” and “Force delete.”
- Always skip (default): In the Delete dialog box, the “Skip” option is shown but cannot
be changed.
- Always force-delete: In the Delete dialog box, the “Force delete” option is shown but
cannot be changed.
Both “Skip” and “Force Delete” options are always active for Interplay Access users with
administrative privileges
3. Click Apply to save any changes.
Setting Options for Deletion
192
The next time a user logs into Interplay Access and opens the Delete dialog box, the options
are active or inactive, depending on the current settings in the Delete Behavior view of the
Interplay Administrator.
Activating the Option to Delete Referenced Assets
By default, you cannot delete referenced assets (including rendered effects) without deleting the
sequence that references them (see “Restricted Deletion of Referenced Assets” in the Interplay
Access User’s Guide). This feature was introduced to prevent deletion of referenced assets that
were still in use, and because most customers prefer keeping consistency between a sequence
and its referenced assets.
The Delete dialog box in Interplay Access includes an option to override this restriction: “Delete
selected clip or clips, even if they are referenced from a composition mob.” Select this option to
allow the deletion of referenced assets.
cBy enabling this option, it is possible to delete assets that are still in use by a sequence. If
the deleted assets are moved to the Orphan Clips folder, media might be unintentionally
deleted, resulting in offline media.
Using the Delete Kept Media Tool
The Delete Kept Media tool is used to automatically delete the assets and media in the Orphan
Clips\Kept Media folder. The file name of the tool is
delete_kept_media.exe
and it is
installed by default on the Interplay Engine in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
For a cluster engine, you need to execute this tool directly on the online node. You should run
this tool during off hours because it deletes as quickly as possible and therefore puts extra load
on the Interplay Engine, ISIS shared storage system, and Media Indexer.
Setting Options for Deletion
193
The syntax of the tool is described in the following in-line help:
***********************************************************************
delete_kept_media - Deletes assets in Kept Media folder.
delete_kept_media [user:] [psw:] [proj:] [maxAssets:] [maxTime:]
This tool automates the deletion of assets (including media) that were moved
to the Kept Media folder by scheduled deletion.
Options:
user:<user name> Name of the user to logon to AvidWG with
psw:<password> Password of the user to logon to AvidWG with
proj:<database name> (optional) The name of the database (AvidWG or
AvidAM). If the parameter is omitted "AvidWG" is assumed.
maxAssets:<number>(optional) Maximum number of assets to delete
maxTime:<minutes> (optional) Maximum run time in minutes; tool will stop
deletion when this period is exceeded
The maxAssets: and maxTime: options are useful if this tool is run as a
scheduled task, e.g. using Windows Task Scheduler.
***********************************************************************
The
maxTime
option is especially useful. It allows a media manager to start the deletion process
late in the evening (or generally during low-load or no-load times) and specify a window for the
deletion. You can schedule the deletion before a backup starts or before use of the Interplay
Engine goes up in the morning.d
For example:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server>delete_kept_media.exe
user:Administrator psw:avid maxTime:300
This command starts a deletion process that will stop after 5 hours (300 minutes). The tool
displays its progress so that you can see how many assets were deleted. If you want to direct the
output of the tool to a file, append the following to the command:
>> output_file.txt
nThis tool is similar to delete_obsolete_rendered_effects.exe, which is described in the Interplay
ReadMe.
Viewing and Setting the Metadata Override Status
194
To run the Delete Kept Media tool:
1. On the Interplay Engine system (or for a cluster system, on the online node), open a
Windows Command Prompt.
2. Navigate to the location of the tool. For example, type
cd C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Server
3. Type the command line for the tool and press Enter, using the following syntax:
delete_kept_media [user:] [psw:] [maxAssets:] [maxTime:]
If you want to direct the output of the tool to a file, append the following to the command:
>> output_file.txt
For example, to run the program for one hour and print the output in a file named results.txt,
type the following and press Enter:
delete_kept_media user:administrator psw:admin maxTime:60 >>results.txt
If you want to schedule the tool to run at a particular time, use a program such as Windows Task
Scheduler.
Viewing and Setting the Metadata Override Status
The Metadata Override Settings view lets you manage how the Archive Provider handles
metadata when an asset is archived more than once. This view appears only when the Interplay
Administrator is logged on to an Archive Engine.
By default, the Archive Provider overrides the archived metadata for an Avid asset if you archive
the asset again. You can use the Metadata Override feature in Interplay Access to disable
metadata override on archived folders, or re-enable it if it is disabled. There is currently no visual
indication in Interplay Access whether metadata override is enabled or disabled on a folder.
You can view the metadata override status in the Metadata Override Settings view in the
Interplay Administrator. You can also use this view to enable or disable metadata override for a
folder.
To view whether metadata override is enabled:
1. In the Site Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Metadata
Override Settings icon.
A folder tree displays the archive database.
- Folders that have metadata override enabled are marked with a blue check mark icon.
- Folders with metadata override disabled are marked with a red x icon.
- Folders marked with a gray icon indicate the inherited setting.
Production Engine Bus Connector
195
Folders with metadata override disabled are listed in the Locations window.
2. (Option) Select a folder in the folder tree to limit the folders displayed in the Locations
window to subfolders.
To enable metadata override:
tSelect a folder in the folder tree or one or more folders in the Locations window and click
Enable Override.
To disable metadata override:
tSelect a folder in the folder tree or one or more folders in the Locations window and click
Disable Override.
Production Engine Bus Connector
This view is used to configure a service that runs on the Interplay Engine and communicates with
the Avid MediaCentral Platform bus. This communication enables the Interplay Production
database to be part of a multi-zone Media | Index. For more information, see the Avid
MediaCentral Platform Services Installation and Configuration Guide.
Blue icon =
metadata override
is enabled
Gray icons =
inherited setting
Red icon =
metadata override
is disabled
6Application Settings
In the Application settings, you can configure application-specific permissions and options, as
described in the following topics:
•Application Database Settings View
•Media Composer | Cloud Settings
•Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
•Pro Tools Plug-Ins Settings
Application Database Settings View
The Application Database Settings view lets you specify on a database or folder level the settings
that are relevant when using an Interplay application.
All files and subfolders of the folder inherit its settings, but you can override the inherited
settings for specific files and subfolders. Inherited settings are grayed out. These settings are
used as the default for all new folders in the database, and are valid for all users unless they are
changed explicitly for a user or user group in the Instinct/Assist User Settings view (see “Setting
Instinct/Assist User Options” on page 217).
The Application Database Settings view has two tabs.
• Editor Settings tab. For a description of options in this tab, see the following topics:
-“Setting Options in the Editing Settings Tab” on page 197
-“Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab” on page 199
• Application Defaults. For a description of options in this tab, see the following topics:
-“Setting Audio Mixing Defaults for Access, Assist, and MediaCentral | UX” on
page 209
-“Setting the Shotlist Start Timecode for Interplay Access and Interplay Assist” on
page 212
-“Setting an Automatic Timeout for Interplay Assist and Avid Instinct” on page 213
-“Configuring the Frame Locators Display” on page 214
Application Database Settings View
197
Setting Options in the Editing Settings Tab
The Editing Settings tab in the Application Database Settings view includes settings that apply to
several different applications. Some settings apply to Interplay Instinct and Interplay Assist,
some apply to Interplay Instinct only, and one setting (“Check in bins when closing”) applies
only to Avid editing systems such as Media Composer®.
For information about these settings, see “Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab”
on page 199.
To change the editor database settings in the Editing Settings tab:
1. In the Editing Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the Application
Database Settings icon.
2. Click the Editing Settings tab.
3. Select a folder in the database.
Application Database Settings View
198
If the database icon has a red X, you are not connected. Click the database icon to connect.
The database icon shows a green check mark when you are connected. For more
information, see “Viewing General Role Assignments” on page 134.
4. Do one of the following:
tSelect an option from a drop-down list or by clicking an option button.
tType a setting in the text box.
If a setting is grayed out, click the Edit button to enable editing.
5. Click Apply.
A notification box tells you whether or not the changes have been successfully applied.
Users who are currently logged in need to log out and log in again to see the changes.
6. Click Dismiss to close the notification box.
If you do not click Dismiss or the close box, after a few seconds the notification box
minimizes to a green bar at the bottom of the dialog box. To view the notification again,
click the green bar. The green bar is available for approximately 45 seconds.
To undo a setting:
1. Click the red X button.
This button appears only if you have explicitly set the value of the setting. Clicking the red X
button clears the setting, but does not revert the setting to the previous value.
2. Click Apply.
Audio Settings for Two NAT or SOT Tracks in Avid Instinct
Avid Instinct version 2.5 and later supports two channels of input for both NAT (natural sound)
and SOT (sound-on-tape). The following settings in the Editing Settings tab in the Application
Database Settings view apply to this support:
• Audio Patching
• Audio - Source audio patching
• Audio - Storyline audio patching
• Send to Playback - Audio Mixdown Mode
• Audio Effects - Center-Panned Sound on Tape and Voice Over
Edit button
Application Database Settings View
199
These settings are described in “Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab” on
page 199. For more information about using these settings, see the Avid Instinct User’s Guide.
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab
You can set options for the Editing Settings tab in the Application Database Settings view as
described in the following table. The Applications column lists which applications are affected
by each option.
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab
Option Setting Description Applications
Format Video Format • For Avid Instinct, sets the default
video format for your sequences. If
you select Any, Avid Instinct
allows you to select a video format
for your sequence when you create
a new story.
nFor HDV projects, select the
HD1080i_60 video format.
• For MediaCentral UX, determines
the video format only if the first
edit is creating a voice-over.
Otherwise, video format is
determined by the first clip added
to the sequence. If you select Any,
the default format for voice-over is
NTSC 29.97.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Audio Patching Natural Sound Lets you specify whether NAT clips
should be patched to a single channel
or to two channels when added to the
storyline.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Sound on Tape Lets you specify whether SOT clips
should be patched to a single channel
or to a two channels when added to the
storyline.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Audio – Track labels Natural Sound label Allows you to specify a name for the
NAT track in source clips. The default
is NAT.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Application Database Settings View
200
Sound on Tape label Allows you to specify a name for the
SOT track in source clips. The default
is SOT.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Voice Over label Allows you to specify a name for the
voice-over track in source clips. The
default is VOICE.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Audio – Source audio
patching
Natural Sound track
1
Specifies which track of the source clip
is mapped to NAT track 1. The default
is A1.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Natural Sound track
2
If two channels are selected for NAT,
specifies which track of the source clip
is mapped to NAT track 2. The default
is A4.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Sound on Tape track
1
Specifies which track of the source clip
is mapped to SOT track 1. The default
is A2.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Sound on Tape track
2
If two channels are selected for SOT,
specifies which track of the source clip
is mapped to SOT track 2. The default
is A5.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Voice Over track Specifies which track of the source clip
is mapped to voice-over sound. The
default is A3.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Audio – Storyline audio
patching
Natural Sound track
1
Specifies which track of the output
sequence is mapped to NAT track 1.
The default is A1.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Natural Sound track
2
If two channels are selected for NAT,
specifies which track of the output
sequence is mapped to NAT track 2.
The default is A4.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Sound on Tape track
1
Specifies which track of the output
sequence is mapped to SOT track 1.
The default is A2.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
201
Sound on Tape track
2
If two channels are selected for SOT,
specifies which track of the output
sequence is mapped to SOT track 2.
The default is A5.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Voice Over track Specifies which track of the output
sequence is mapped to voice-over
sound. The default is A3.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Audio – general settings Media Creation
workspace
Sets the workspace location used for
media clips created by users, such as
voice-over recordings and clips created
during send-to-playback operations.
To view a list of available workspaces,
the user logged into the Interplay
Administrator must have a matching
username and password on the Avid
shared-storage system.The list shows
all workspaces to which the logged-in
user has read/write access.
If you list shared-storage servers for
Avid ISIS Authentication, the servers
that you specify determine which
workspaces are displayed. Make sure
these server names are correctly
entered. See “Setting Avid ISIS
Authentication” on page 113. If these
are not correctly entered, the Media
Creation workspace setting might be
grayed out.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
MediaCentral
Audio sample rate Sets the audio sample rate for audio
clips created in the application. The
sample rate is used in send-to-playback
operations, and it must match the
setting on your playback device (for
example, an Avid AirSpeed®). The
default sample rate for DV resolutions
is 48 kHz. This setting is not
changeable.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
MediaCentral
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
202
Sample bit depth Sets the sample bit depth for audio
clips created in the application, such as
voice-over recordings and audio
mixdowns. The more bits used to
sample the audio, the more accurately
the amplitude is represented by the
clip. The sample rate is used in
send-to-playback operations, and it
must match the setting on your
playback device (for example, an Avid
AirSpeed). The default is 16 bits.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
MediaCentral
Ducking [-dB] Allows you to specify the amount of
audio ducking (automatic lowering of
audio gain in background audio). The
default is 12 dB.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Audio file format Sets the audio file format to PCM. Not
changeable.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
MediaCentral
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
203
Dynamic Relink Enables or disables the Dynamic
Relink feature (for MultiRez editing).
If Dynamic Relink is “true,” all relink
settings in the Send to Playback option
are enabled; if Dynamic Relink is
“false,” these settings are disabled,
with the exception Audio Mixdown
Mode. The default for Dynamic Relink
is “not set.”
nYou can enable and disable
Dynamic Relink only at the top
level of your database. You
cannot enable or disable
Dynamic Relink at the folder
level.
If Dynamic Relink is “true,” all relink
settings in the Instinct/Assist User
Settings are enabled as well. For
information about user settings, see
“Setting Instinct/Assist User Options”
on page 217.
nThis setting does not apply to
MediaCentral. Dynamic relink
is configured on the
MediaCentral Playback Server.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
Send to playback Target resolution,
primary
Sets a resolution for output to a
playback device.
nIf dynamic relink is enabled, this
field is enabled and you must
select an option. The resolutions
that are available depend on the
resolutions available in the
Resolutions tab in the Property
Layout view.
nFor MediaCentral, the target
resolution is set in a profile
created by the MediaCentral
Administrator.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
204
Target resolution,
secondary
Sets a resolution to use for a second
playback device.
Avid Instinct
Secondary target
field
Leave the field blank to send a
sequence to playback on the primary
device. Enter a value to send the
sequence to the secondary playback
device.
nStory fields are set in
Avid Instinct.
Avid Instinct
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
205
Audio Mixdown
Mode
Sets the mixdown mode used for
send-to-playback operations:
• Mono — Maps to a center pan,
which creates a mono mixdown of
all audio tracks and outputs the
resulting track to two channels
when sent to playback. This results
in two identical channels of audio,
each containing the original audio
tracks.
• Stereo — Maps to a left/right
alternating pan (odd tracks on one
channel, even tracks on the other
channel), creates a stereo mixdown
of all audio tracks, and outputs the
resulting two tracks to two
channels when sent to playback.
This results in two channels of
audio. For Avid Instinct, the default
mapping is NAT/VOICE tracks
(A1/A3) on one channel and the
SOT track (A2) on the other
channel. You specify how tracks
are mapped in the Audio -
Storyline Audio Patching settings.
• Direct Out — Does not combine
audio in any way; all audio tracks
remain as they are in the source
media, which creates separate
output channels for each audio
track in the source media when it is
sent to playback. Select this option
to retain the greatest flexibility to
do further audio manipulation after
the source media is sent to the
playback device.
The default mixdown mode is Mono.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
206
Audio Target
Resolution
Sets an audio resolution for output to a
playback device. Currently, the only
option is PCM.
Sample Rate and Bit Depth: sets the
resolution of the source audio for audio
mixdowns.
nIf dynamic relink is enabled, you
must set the audio target
resolution to PCM and select a
Sample Rate and Bit Depth.
If the working resolution differs from
the target resolution, audio clips relink
to the target resolution when they are
sent to playback. However, if the
settings on the playback device differ
from the target resolution, the clips
convert to the playback resolution after
relinking.
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
Prepare Editor
Sequences for
Review
For future use.
Audio Effects Dissolve Duration
(frames)
Sets the length of an audio dissolve in
frames. For example, to create a
default dissolve of 2 frames (the
default), type 2.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral
Center-Panned
Sound on Tape and
Voice Over
If enabled, maps SOT and VOICE
sounds as center-panned (played on
both channels). This effect applies to
both Mono and Stereo Mixdown
modes.
Avid Instinct
MediaCentral (Voice
Over only)
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
207
Auto Reservation Duration [h] Allows you to set a default duration (in
hours) for auto reservations. If you do
not want auto reservation on a folder,
set the duration to zero. The default
duration is 24 hours.
There are two situations that trigger an
automatic reservation:
• Capturing a master clip to the
Interplay Window
• Checking in a new or modified
asset from a bin
• Checking in a new or modified
sequence from MediaCentral
Avid Instinct
Interplay Assist
MediaCentral UX
MediaCentral Playback
Service
Hostname The computer name of the
MediaCentral Playback Service
(MCPS) server. For more information,
see the Media Composer Cloud
documentation.
Media Composer Cloud
Username The username for the ICPS server
administrator. This must match the
user name in the MediaCentral UX
System Settings, in the ICPS > Player
tab, and the user credential must be
unique.
Media Composer Cloud
Password The password for the ICPS server
administrator. This must match the
user name in the MediaCentral UX
System Settings, in the ICPS > Player
tab, and the user credential must be
unique.
Media Composer Cloud
MCS Settings Messaging URL Type the URL for the server that hosts
your MediaCentral Messaging Pane,
using the following syntax:
https://MediaCentral server hostname
MediaCentral UX
Restore from Archive Optimized Partial
Restore
Reserved for future use. Disabled by
default.
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
208
Checkin and Checkout Use background
checkin from editors
(Disabled by default). Enabling this
feature lets a Media Composer user
check in clips and sequences to
Interplay Production by using a
background process. This allows you
to continue working on your project
while the application checks in your
work to Interplay.
Before you can use background
checkin, you must ensure that bin
indexing is enabled. In Media
Composer, open the Find window (Edit
> Find). The Bin Index status light at
the bottom of the window should be
green or partially green. If not, click
Settings and click the Start Indexing
button.
Avid editing systems
Check in bins when
closing
Allows you to set the default behavior
for checking in media objects from
open bins to the Interplay database
when closing your Avid editing
application. The default is “Ask user.”
nThis setting does not apply to
Avid Instinct or Avid Assist.
Avid editing systems
Update restrictions
on checkout
Reserved for future use. Avid editing systems
Update master clip
during subclip
checkout
(Enabled by default). A subclip’s AAF
file includes metadata (user properties,
frame locators, and restrictions) for the
master clip that the subclip is
referencing. By default, when a subclip
is checked out, updated information in
the referenced master clip is merged
into the metadata of the master clip in
the subclip's AAF.
Avid editing systems
Application Database Settings: Editing Settings Tab (Continued)
Option Setting Description Applications
Application Database Settings View
209
Setting Audio Mixing Defaults for Access, Assist, and MediaCentral | UX
The Audio Mixing Defaults in the Application Defaults tab apply to Interplay Access, Interplay
Assist, and Avid MediaCentral UX v2.1 and later.
• For Interplay Access, the settings apply to the Audio Mixer controls, which let you enable
and mute tracks and adjust volume. Adjustments that you make with these controls apply
only when you play Avid assets and file assets in Interplay Access. For more information,
see the Interplay Access User’s Guide.
• For Interplay Assist, the settings apply to the Local Audio Mixing controls, which let you
edit audio settings for clips or subclips that you load in the Monitor. Adjustments that you
make with these controls apply only when you play clips, subclips, or shotlists in Interplay
Assist. For more information, see the Interplay Assist User’s Guide.
• For MediaCentral UX, the settings apply to Audio pane controls for basic sequences, clips,
and subclips. Adjustments that you make with these controls apply only when you play these
assets in MediaCentral UX. For more information, see the Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s
Guide.
These settings apply to the entire database only. You cannot set them for individual folders.
Application Database Settings View
210
The following illustration shows audio tracks 1 through 16 enabled, with left/right alternating
pan (the initial default setting). Buttons for enabled tracks display a green icon.
To set audio mixing defaults for Interplay Access, Interplay Assist, and MediaCentral
(basic sequences):
1. In the Application Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the
Application Database Settings icon.
2. Click the Application Defaults tab.
3. Select the Enable Audio Mixing Defaults option so that a green check mark is displayed.
Application Database Settings View
211
4. For each track that you want to enable, click the corresponding button, so that the button has
a green icon.
5. For each track, select Left, Mono, or Right to assign the track to an output channel (pan
setting).
6. Click Apply.
Sending a Source to Playback in Interplay Assist
The target settings for Send to Playback depend on the folder in which a loaded shotlist exists.
The following sections describe how Interplay Assist uses target settings when sending a source
to playback.
Settings in the Interplay Administrator
You set the target audio and video resolution for a folder in the Interplay Administrator. If you
have Dynamic Relink enabled in a workgroup, settings for audio and video target resolutions are
enabled and required in the Interplay Administrator. You should set target resolutions for the root
folder. Subfolders inherit this setting. You can set different target resolutions for subfolders that
override the settings inherited from the root folder.
The following illustration shows DNxHD 1080 115-120-145 and PCM set as target resolutions
on the database root folder.
Application Database Settings View
212
Sending a Source to Playback
If you send a source to playback (a clip, subclip, or sequence) and a shotlist is open, the send to
playback operation uses the target resolution of the folder that holds the shotlist.
If a shotlist is not open, the send to playback operation uses the target resolution that is set at the
database root. If this resolution is not what you want to use for the source, you need to create or
open a shotlist in a folder that has the desired settings.
To make it easier to select target resolution settings to use when sending a Source to playback,
you can create a set of template shotlists and folders, each in a folder that has been set with the
target resolutions. You can then do one or both of the following:
• Create shortcuts to the folders
• Create the template shotlists with names that are easily searched, for example,
TRES_DNxHD1080, TRES_MPEG50, and so on.
Then, before you send a source to playback, use a shortcut or search to load the appropriate
shotlist.
Setting the Shotlist Start Timecode for Interplay Access and Interplay
Assist
An administrator can set the default starting timecode for shotlists that are created in Interplay
Access or Interplay Assist. The default starting timecode for shotlists is 01;00;00;00 (drop
frame) or 01:00:00:00 (non-drop frame). For example, you can use this setting to change the
starting timecode hour from 01 to 00.
This setting applies to the entire database only. You cannot set it for individual folders.
Interplay Access and Interplay Assist determine the format of the timecode differently:
• For Interplay Access, the timecode format is determined by the first clip in the shotlist. You
cannot mix drop-frame and non-drop-frame clips in the same shotlist.
• For Interplay Assist, you set the default starting timecode as Drop Frame or Non-Drop
Frame in the Interplay Administrator. If you select Drop Frame, and if the frame rate of the
first clip in the shotlist supports drop-frame timecode (for example, 29.97 fps), the timecode
will be drop-frame. If you select Non-Drop Frame, or the first clip in the shotlist does not
support drop-frame timecode, the default timecode will be non-drop-frame. You can mix
drop-frame and non-drop-frame clips in the same shotlist.
nInterplay Assist users can change the starting timecode for an individual shotlist by using the
command Edit > Edit Shotlist Start Timecode.
Application Database Settings View
213
To set the shotlist start timecode:
1. Start Interplay Administrator and log on to the database for which you want to set the
shotlist start timecode.
2. In the Application Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the
Application Database Settings icon.
3. Click the Application Defaults tab.
4. Select the database (AvidWG).
5. For the Shotlist Start Timecode option, enter the timecode in the format HH:MM:SS.
You cannot enter a default starting frame.
6. For Interplay Assist, specify the Default NTSC Shotlist Format as Drop Frame or Non-Drop
Frame.
7. Click Apply.
Setting an Automatic Timeout for Interplay Assist and Avid Instinct
An Interplay administrator has the option of letting Interplay Assist and Avid Instinct
automatically time out after a specified period of inactivity. This feature helps in license
management, because it enables an unused license to be freed up without the administrator
manually finding and closing inactive applications on user desktops.
If a timeout period is set, and the application does not detect any activity during that period, the
application displays a message that asks if you want to quit. Click Yes to quit, or click No to keep
the application open. If you do not click Yes or No, the application quits in twenty seconds.
The default setting is one hour. This setting applies to the entire database.
To set the timeout period:
1. Start Interplay Administrator and log on to the database for which you want to set the
automatic timeout.
2. In the Application Settings section of the Interplay Administrator, click the Application
Database Settings icon.
3. Click the Application Defaults tab.
4. Select the database (AvidWG).
5. In the Assist/Instinct - Defaults section, enter a value in hours for the Automatic Timeout
option. Decimal values are allowed. For example, for a timeout period of one and a half
hours, enter:
1.5
If you do not want a timeout period, enter 0 (zero).
Application Database Settings View
214
6. Click Apply.
The timeout period begins the next time you launch the application.
Configuring the Frame Locators Display
The Frame Locators tab in the Object Inspector displays information about locators associated
with an Avid asset. Administrators and users can configure which attributes (as columns) are
displayed in the Frame Locators tab. Administrators can select a default set of columns in the
Interplay Administrator, and users can change the default settings in Interplay Access.
You can display the following columns:
The ability to configure which columns you display can be useful if you use locator information
in another application. You can export locator information in various formats or you can copy
rows of information and paste them into another application by using your desktop copy and
paste commands.
To configure the default display in the Interplay Administrator:
1. Open the Interplay Administrator and log in to the database for which you want to set the
default display.
2. In the Application Settings section, click Application Database Settings.
3. Click the Application Defaults tab.
4. In the Access Frame Locators View section, select the columns that you want to display in
the Frame Locators tab.
The Timecode and Comment columns are always displayed.
5. Click Apply.
Frame Locators
Column
Default Setting in
Interplay Administrator
Timecode Always selected
Comment Always selected
Track Selected by default
User Selected by default
Color Selected by default
UID (Unique Identifier) Selected by default
Application Database Settings View
215
To override the default display in Interplay Access:
1. Open Interplay Access and log in to a database.
2. Select Preferences > Options
3. Click the View Settings tab.
4. In the Frame Locators View section, select “Use local column configuration.”
5. Select the columns you want to display, or deselect the columns you do not want to display,
then click OK.
6. Refresh Interplay Access (select View > Refresh or perform an action).
Configuring the Restrictions Display
The Restrictions tab in the Object Inspector displays information about restrictions associated
with an Avid asset. For more information, see the Interplay Access User’s Guide.
Columns in the Restrictions tab always display Start Time, End Time, and Comment.
Administrators and users can configure which attributes (as columns) are displayed in the
Restrictions tab. Administrators can select a default set of columns in the Interplay
Administrator, and users can change the default settings in Interplay Access.
You can display the following columns:
Restrictions Tab Column Default Setting in Interplay Administrator
Start Time Always selected
End Time Always selected
Comment Always selected
Username Selected by default
Color Selected by default
Start Frame Not selected by default
Duration Not selected by default
Deleted Selected by default
nIf the Deleted option is selected, deleted restrictions are shown
in addition to current restrictions. Deleted restrictions are listed
as True in the Deleted column, and current restrictions are
listed as False.
Modified Date Selected by default
Application Database Settings View
216
nA user can view restrictions in Interplay Access, Interplay Assist, Media Composer, and
MediaCentral UX, but can create, delete, or modify restrictions only in Interplay Assist and
MediaCentral UX. An administrator sets permission to create and modify restrictions. See
“Instinct/Assist User Settings” on page 220.
To configure the default display in the Interplay Administrator:
1. Open the Interplay Administrator and log in to the database for which you want to set the
default display.
2. In the Application Settings section, click Application Database Settings.
3. Click the Application Defaults tab.
4. In the Access Restrictions View section, select the columns that you want to display in the
Restrictions tab.
The Start Time, End Time, and Comment columns are always displayed.
5. Click Apply.
To override the default display in Interplay Access:
1. Open Interplay Access and log in to a database.
2. Select Preferences > Options (Windows) or Interplay Access > Preferences (Macintosh).
3. Click the View Settings tab.
4. In the Restrictions View section, select “Use local column configuration.”
5. Select the columns you want to display, or deselect the columns you do not want to display,
then click OK.
6. Refresh Interplay Access (select View > Refresh or perform an action).
UID (Unique Identifier) Selected by default
Restrictions Tab Column Default Setting in Interplay Administrator
Media Composer | Cloud Settings
217
Media Composer | Cloud Settings
This view is used to configure upload settings for Media Composer Cloud users. For more
information, see the Media Composer | Cloud Installation and Configuration Guide.
You can set options for the Media Composer Cloud Settings view as described in the following
table. These settings affect how remote upload functions when you use Media Composer Cloud.
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
In the Instinct/Assist User Settings view, you can set permissions for various editing functions on
the group or user level (working resolutions for video and audio are not available for groups).
These settings apply to all folders in the database, so in some cases the settings apply to users on
Avid editing systems (NewsCutter, Media Composer) who are checking Avid assets into the
Interplay database.
For information about these settings, see “Instinct/Assist User Settings” on page 220.
The settings in the following illustration are for an Instinct or Assist user who has permission to
use only low-resolution MPEG2 media. In this example, most settings are grayed out, which
indicate that they are inherited from the user group. For this user, the working video resolution is
MPEG2-MPML NTSC and the “Can use higher resolutions” setting is No. The working audio
resolution is MP2.
Media Composer Cloud Settings
Option Setting Description
Upload workspaces Add Select a workspace from the menu to
use for your remote upload operations.
The added workspace appears in the
Active list.
Upload workspaces Active Lists all active Interplay workspaces
used for remote upload.
Upload Proxy 800Kbps
2Mbps
When connected to an Interplay v2.7
or later workgroup, you can choose
one of two bit rates for H.264 proxy
media: 2 Mbps or 800 Kbps.
When connected to an Interplay v2.5
or v2.6 workgroup, 800 Kbps is
automatically selected.
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
218
To change the Instinct/Assist User settings:
1. In the Application Settings section of the Interplay Administrator window, click the
Instinct/Assist User Settings icon.
2. In the Users tree on the left, select a group of users or an individual user.
The settings for the selected user or user group area are displayed in the pane on the right.
3. Do one of the following:
tSelect an option from the drop-down list or by clicking an option button.
tType a setting in the text box.
If a setting is grayed out (inherited), click the Edit button to enable editing
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
219
4. Select among the following options for each setting:
If you select Inherited, and then click Apply, the option changes to the inherited setting and
the options are grayed out.
5. Click Apply.
A notification box tells you whether or not the changes have been successfully applied.
Users who are currently logged on need to log out and log in again to see the changes.
6. Click Dismiss to close the notification box.
If you do not click Dismiss or the close box, after a few seconds the notification box
minimizes to a green bar at the bottom of the dialog box. To view the notification again,
click the green bar. The green bar is available for approximately 45 seconds.
To undo a setting:
1. Click the red X button.
This button appears only if you have explicitly set the value of the setting. Clicking the red X
button clears the setting, but does not revert the setting to the previous value.
2. Click Apply.
Edit button
Option Description
Inherited The user inherits this setting from the group it is a part of.
Yes Grants the user this setting.
No Denies the user this setting.
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
220
Instinct/Assist User Settings
The following table describes options for the Instinct/Assist User Settings. The table includes
columns that specify which applications the setting applies to.
Setting Instinct Assist Access
Media
Composer MediaCentral Description
Can send to
playback
x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to send material to a
playback device.
Can modify
column properties
x x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to modify the properties of
an asset (such as the name or a
comment). If an editing
application user regularly checks
assets into Interplay, select “yes.”
Administrators and folder owners
have this right set by default.
Other users who have this right
must also have a read/write or
read/write/delete role for at least
one folder that contains the asset.
Can create new
column properties
x x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to add new properties to an
asset. If an editing application
user regularly checks assets into
Interplay, select “yes.”
Administrators and folder owners
have this right set by default.
Other users who have this right
must also have a read/write or
read/write/delete role for at least
one folder that contains the asset.
Can see other
users’ logs
x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to see locators and
restrictions set by other users.
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
221
Can use higher
resolutions
x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to work with a higher
quality than the working
resolution for video and audio
clips if the working resolution is
not available. If this option is set
to No and the only available
resolution is higher than the
working resolution, the user sees
Media Offline in the Video
monitor.
If you want a user to work with
any available media, select “yes”
for this option and “Can use
lower resolutions.”
Can use lower
resolutions
x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to work with a lower
quality for video and audio clips
than the working resolution if the
working resolution is not
available. If this option is set to
No and the only available
resolution is lower than the
working resolution, the user sees
Media Offline in the Video
monitor.
If you want a user to work with
any available media, select “yes”
for this option and “Can use
higher resolutions.”
Setting Instinct Assist Access
Media
Composer MediaCentral Description
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
222
Can create locators x x x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to create locators. If no, a
user of an Avid editing
application can still create
locators for an asset, but can
check in only the asset, not the
locator metadata (an error
message is displayed).
In most cases, if you want a user
to create locators, select "yes" for
both "Can create locators" and
"Can modify locators." Both
settings are needed because
adding text is one aspect of
modifying a locator.
Administrators and owners have
the ability to create locators by
default. Other users must have
“Can create locators” set to “yes”
and must also have a read/write
or read/write/delete role for at
least one folder that contains the
asset.
Can modify
locators
x x x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to modify or delete
locators. If no, a user of an Avid
editing application can still
modify locators on an asset, but
can check in only the asset, not
the locator metadata (an error
message is displayed).
Administrators and owners have
the ability to modify locators by
default. Other users must have
“Can modify locators” set to
“yes” and must also have a
read/write or read/write/delete
role for at least one folder that
contains the asset.
Setting Instinct Assist Access
Media
Composer MediaCentral Description
Setting Instinct/Assist User Options
223
Can create
restrictions
x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to mark a section of a clip
with a restriction locator. In most
cases, if you want a user to create
restrictions, select “yes” for both
“Can create restrictions” and
“Can modify restrictions.”
Adding text is considered
modifying a restriction.
Administrators and owners have
this right set by default. Other
users who have this right must
also have a read/write or
read/write/delete role for at least
one folder that contains the asset.
Can modify
restrictions
x x If yes, allows the selected user or
group to modify or delete a
restriction.
Administrators and owners have
this right set by default. Other
users who have this right must
also have a read/write or
read/write/delete role for at least
one folder that contains the asset.
Video Settings:
Working
Resolution
x x If Dynamic Relink is enabled,
specifies the default working
video resolution for the selected
user. You cannot apply this
setting to a group.
Audio Settings:
Working
Resolution
x x If Dynamic Relink is enabled,
specifies the default working
audio resolution for the selected
user. If the working resolution is
set to PCM, you can select a
sample rate and a bit depth for
audio clips. You cannot apply
this setting to a group.
This setting is also used for
voice-over recording in Avid
Instinct.
Setting Instinct Assist Access
Media
Composer MediaCentral Description
Pro Tools Plug-Ins Settings
224
Pro Tools Plug-Ins Settings
You can use Interplay Pro Tools Plug-ins to pass audio files back and forth between Avid video
editing systems and Pro Tools audio editing and mixing systems.
As of Interplay v3.0, Pro Tools Interplay Integration Plug-Ins for Interplay are no longer
available on the Interplay Client Installer. For more information about using Pro Tools with
Interplay, go to the Knowledge Base page titled “Avid Interplay Requirements With Pro Tools.”
7Interplay Services
The Interplay Services settings include the Workgroup Properties and Service Configuration
views, which are identical to parts of the Avid Service Framework. For example, the following
illustration shows the Service Configuration view examining the Interplay Media Indexer
settings for a computer in the Interplay workgroup. You can use the Service Configuration view
to configure services such as the Interplay Media Indexers for all the clients in your workgroup
from one computer.
For more information about the Interplay Services, see the Avid Service Framework User's Guide
or Interplay Best Practices.
226
nAvid Workgroup Properties and Avid Service Configuration are also available from the Interplay
Access View menu.
8Troubleshooting
The following topics provide information for troubleshooting problems with the Interplay
Engine server:
•Troubleshooting Login Problems
•Troubleshooting Client Connection Problems
•Optimizing Interplay Performance
•Troubleshooting Firewalls and Interplay
•Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account
•Shutting Down or Locking the Server Process
Also see “Creating a Metadata-Only Backup for Customer Support” on page 56.
Troubleshooting Login Problems
If you are not able to log in to the Interplay Administrator even when you are sure you provided
a correct user name and password, verify if the Central Configuration Server for the server is set
correctly. For information about the Central Configuration Server, see “Understanding the
Central Configuration Server” on page 105.
To verify if the Central Configuration Server is set correctly:
1. Click Start, then click Run.
2. Type
regedit
in the text box.
The Registry Editor opens.
3. Navigate to the following folder:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Avid Technology\
Workgroup\Avid Workgroup\DatabaseServer
The string value CMS should specify the computer name of the Central Configuration
Server.
4. If this value is not correct, shut down the Interplay Engine by locking the server (see
“Locking and Unlocking the Server” on page 89).
5. In the Registry Editor, double-click CMS, type a valid entry, and click OK.
Troubleshooting Client Connection Problems
228
6. Unlock the server.
Troubleshooting Client Connection Problems
This topic provides suggestions for settings to check if a client system is not connecting properly.
Network Configuration
• Check the TCP/IP connection by typing
ping
<servername>
in the Command Prompt on
the client.
Server Settings
• Check if there is a user account for the user. See “Managing Users, User Groups, and User
Rights” on page 124.
• Check if the password is expired. See “Viewing and Setting Attributes” on page 128.
• Check that the user has access to the database (a role other than No Access).
• Make sure the user authorization provider includes the user account. See “Setting User
Authentication Providers and Importing Users” on page 110.
Client Settings
• Reinstall Interplay Access. This client application hosts Interplay Access, Interplay
Administrator, and the connection package for any connection to Interplay.
Optimizing Interplay Performance
This topic provides some basic items to check if you are running into unexplained slowness
(either server or client side) with Interplay:
• Make sure that the server meets the current specifications. See the Interplay ReadMe.
• Make sure that the client is running on a system that meets specifications.
• Run the client from the server machine.
If Interplay Access runs well on the server machine, it might indicate that the other clients
are communicating slowly with the server because of a network problem. Start the client on
the server machine and see if you have the same problems.
• Check for other processes running on the server machine.
Most installations should run the Interplay Engine on a dedicated machine. If you are relying
on the server machine to perform other duties as well, you might have performance issues.
For example, some virus scanners can lock files on a server, and the Interplay Engine waits
until the file is unlocked before it can be moved, renamed, deleted, and so on.
Troubleshooting Firewalls and Interplay
229
• Check the speed of the LAN between the Interplay Engine and the shared storage server.
Make sure that the Interplay Engine and the Avid shared-storage server are connected
appropriately; for example, the Interplay Engine needs to read the files to create thumbnails.
If the connection is slow, performance can drop.
• Check the speed of file operations of the Interplay Engine on the shared storage server.
Make sure that the Interplay Engine can move data quickly on the Avid shared-storage
system. Log in to the Interplay Engine server and use Windows Explorer to transfer files
from an Avid shared-storage workspace to the Interplay Engine server. The speed
performance of these operations should be independent of file size and instantaneous. Make
sure the connectivity and credentials are correct.
Troubleshooting Firewalls and Interplay
Firewalls on client machines interfere with Interplay’s TCP/IP communications.
Symptoms
• The list of servers does not appear, for example, when you are connecting to a new database.
• Connection establishment to the server fails.
Cause
These problems can be caused by personal firewalls installed on the client machine. A typical
example for such a firewall is ZoneAlarm® from ZoneLabs™ or the Windows XP firewall.
These applications intercept all outgoing and incoming network traffic and decide whether to let
the traffic go through or block it. The effect is that applications like Interplay fail to connect to
their servers.
Typically when the client looks for available Interplay Engines in the network, no servers can be
retrieved. When the client is looking for servers, a UDP broadcast is sent out on port 8321.
Solution
Usually these personal firewalls can be configured to allow all network traffic for specific
applications. This should be done for Interplay locally or for Internet access depending on which
servers Interplay should connect to.
For information about ports used by Interplay, see “Required TCP/IP Ports” on page 256 and
“Interplay Port Usage” in the Interplay Software Installation and Configuration Guide.
Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account
230
Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account
The Server Execution User is a Windows operating system user account that is used only to run
the Interplay Engine processes. You specify the user name and password for the Server
Execution User when you install the Interplay Engine on the server. The following topics provide
more information about the Server Execution User account and information about how to
recreate the account.
nThe Server Execution User account is different from the Interplay Administrator account. The
Server Execution User account is used to run the Interplay Engine processes.The Interplay
Administrator account is used to manage users and the database.
The following topics provide more information about the Server Execution User account:
•Creating the Server Execution User Account
•Determining the Server Execution User Name
•Re-creating the Server Execution User
Creating the Server Execution User Account
When you install the Interplay Engine software you must specify the user name and password of
the Server Execution User account. The Server Execution User is a Windows operating system
user account that is used only to run the Interplay Engine processes.
cWhen you install the Interplay Engine or the Interplay Archive Engine, do not select the
default Server Execution User. Create a custom user instead. The default user account is
AVID_WORKGROUP_USER. Do not use this account.
You have the following options for creating the Server Execution User:
• If your Interplay system is joined to a Windows domain, you can create a domain user (for
example, “IPEngine”). The Interplay Engine installer will associate the appropriate
permissions with the account. If you want to run the Interplay Engine within your domain
and also want to automatically make use of domain user management, such as Windows
Domain or LDAP, you must specify a domain user as the Server Execution User.
For Interplay Engine failover cluster systems, you must specify a Windows domain user.
Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account
231
• You have the option of allowing the Interplay Engine installer to create the account. Select a
name before the installation and specify the name and a password during the installation.
The installer will create a local user in the Administrators group with the appropriate
permissions.
• You can also create a local Administrator account manually and specify that account during
the installation. The account must have local administration rights on the operating system
for the Interplay Engine server (both nodes on a cluster system). The account must have the
following local security policy settings set to enabled:
- Act as part of the operating system
- Back up files and directories
- Restore files and directories
- Adjust memory quotas for a process
-Log on as a service
- Increase scheduling priorities
- Manage auditing and security log
- Impersonate a client after authentication
- Debug programs
An account with an identical user name and password must have read/write access to the Avid
shared storage workspaces that contain media. Use the Avid ISIS Administration tool to create
this account.
Ideally the Server Execution user should be an account that users do not use to log onto the
system. This prevents accidental changes to the Server User Account during normal
administration duties. For example, if someone changes the password by mistake, users might
not be able to access the Interplay database.
For security reasons, do not use the Interplay Engine server operating system Administrator
account. Create a unique account that you use only as the Server Execution User. For example,
you can create an administrative account called “IPEngine.” Avoiding the word Administrator
can help indicate that this account is not used for normal administrative tasks.
nThe Server Execution User account is different from the Interplay Administrator account. The
Server Execution User account is used to run the Interplay Engine processes. The Interplay
Administrator account is used to manage users and the database.
Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account
232
Determining the Server Execution User Name
If necessary, you can check the user name of the Server Execution User account.
To determine the Server Execution User name:
1. Right-click My Computer and select Manage.
2. Expand the Services and Applications branch, then click Services.
3. Right-click Avid Workgroup TCP COM Bridge and select Properties.
4. Click the Log On tab.
The Log On tab contains the name of the Server Execution User.
On a cluster system, the Server Execution User name and password must match the
Windows user account that is running the Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor. On a cluster
system, perform the next steps.
5. (Cluster only) Right-click Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor, select Properties, and click the
Log On tab.
The Log On tab displays the Windows user account that is running the Avid Workgroup
Engine Monitor.
6. (Cluster only) Check the following registry key value on each node:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avid Technology\Workgroup\
Avid Workgroup Server
Check the ExecutionUser value. The Interplay Engine installer uses this value as the default
value for the Server Execution User.
If the account names are different, it means that the Server Execution User has been changed
at some point since the original Interplay Engine installation. Use the Custom install option
when you upgrade the Interplay Engine software and decide if the displayed user is the name
you want to use, or supply a different name and password. Use a regular domain name, such
as “MYDOMAIN\ServerUser” and not the fully qualified domain name, such as
“MYDOMAIN.com\ServerUser.”
If you don’t know the correct password for the Server Execution User account, use
NXNServerUser.exe to change the user and password before you perform the upgrade. See
“Re-creating the Server Execution User” on page 233.
Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account
233
Re-creating the Server Execution User
If you need to re-create the Server Execution User, use the NXNServerUser.exe tool.
To re-create the Server Execution User account:
1. Run the tool NxNServerUser.exe on the Interplay Engine server.
The tool is located in the following directory on the Interplay Server:
Installers\AssetMgr\Tools\NxNServerUser
2. Select Custom User.
3. Type the name, such as MYDOMAIN\IPEngine, and the password of the account.
Make sure that this name exactly matches the user name and password of an account in the
Avid shared-storage Administration tool that has read/write access to the appropriate
workspaces (see “Creating the Server Execution User Account” on page 230).
nMake sure that you use the correct password for the specified user because the tool cannot verify
the password.
The tool changes the execution user settings for the following servers and services:
- Avid Interplay Engine Server: The Avid Interplay Engine Server runs under the
specified account. The NxNServerUser tool changes the corresponding DCOM settings.
You can verify that the new user has been set using the dcomcnfg tool as described in
“Avid Interplay Engine Server” on page 257.
- Avid Interplay TCP/COM Bridge: The Avid Interplay TCP/COM Bridge Service runs
under the specified account. You can verify that the new user has been set in the service
control panel tool as described in “Required TCP/IP Ports” on page 256.
- Impersonation of Apache® Modules: The Apache modules that need to access files on
the file server are impersonated to the specified user account (see “Avid Workgroup
HTTP Server” on page 258 and “Avid Workgroup Preview Server Service” on
page 259). You can verify that the new user and the encrypted password has been set in
the following registry keys:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avid Technology\Workgroup\Avid
Workgroup Server\ExecutionUser
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avid Technology\Workgroup\Avid
Workgroup Server\ExecutionSettings
- (Cluster Only) Avid Interplay Engine Monitor: The Avid Interplay Engine Monitor
Service runs under the specified account. You can verify that the new user has been set
in the service control panel.
Shutting Down or Locking the Server Process
234
4. Restart the server.
The Avid Interplay Engine processes have all necessary access rights.
Shutting Down or Locking the Server Process
You might need to shut down or lock the Avid Interplay Engine Server process in certain
circumstances, such as low disk space conditions (see “Moving a Database Under Low Disk
Space Conditions” on page 77). For more information about the process, see “Avid Interplay
Engine Server” on page 257.
To shut down or lock the Avid Interplay Engine Server process, do one of the following:
tLock the server using NxNServerLock.exe in the Avid Interplay Engine installation
directory.
tLock the server using the Lock Server view in the Interplay Administrator. See “Locking
and Unlocking the Server” on page 89.
tShut down the server using NxNServerShutdown.exe in the Avid Interplay Engine
installation directory.
9Reuniting a Split Database
A split database refers to a configuration in which only the metadata database is stored on the
Interplay Engine. All other database files and folders are stored on an Avid shared-storage
workspace. Previous versions of this guide described how to create and manage a split database
to allow for a large number of file assets. This configuration is no longer recommended. Storing
many small files on ISIS workspaces is an inefficient use of ISIS storage and can lead to
performance problems. Customers with existing split databases can continue to use them but
Avid does not recommend creating new split databases.
The following topics describe the optional procedure of reuniting a split database:
•Preparing to Reunite a Split Database
•Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG Only)
•Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and _InternalData)
•Configuring the workgroup.xml File
Preparing to Reunite a Split Database
The following illustrations show a correctly split database:
• The _Database folder is located in the AvidWG folder on the Interplay Engine server
• The remaining folders and files are located in the AvidWG folder on a shared storage
workspace
Preparing to Reunite a Split Database
236
Preparing to Reunite a Split Database
237
The following illustration shows all database files located in the same AvidWG folder on the
Interplay Engine server.
cIn a correctly split database, the AvidWG folder on the Interplay Engine should contain
only the _Database folder. If the AvidWG folder on shared storage includes a _Database
folder, do not copy this folder to the Interplay Engine. Rename this folder
_Database_UNUSED or something similar before copying the other content to the
Interplay Engine.
In some configurations, the _InternalData folder (which holds user metadata) might also be
located on the shared storage workspace, or might be split between the Interplay Engine and the
shared storage workspace. This folder should be located in \\IEServer\WG_Database$, for
example, D:\Workgroup_Databases, as shown in the following illustration.
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG Only)
238
Follow one of these procedures to reunite a split database:
• If the _InternalData folder is already located on the Interplay Engine, see “Reuniting a Split
Database (AvidWG Only)” on page 238.
• If the _InternalData folder is located on a shared storage workspace, or split between the
Interplay Engine and shared storage, see “Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and
_InternalData)” on page 241.
These procedures refer to two different types of backups:
• Interplay database backup: A backup copy of the Interplay database created by the
automated backup system built into the Interplay Engine. For more information, see
“Creating and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29.
• Archive database backup: A copy of the Interplay database manually created by using a
third-party tool that can handle long path names (longer than 256 characters). Two examples
are Robocopy (contained in rktools.exe, available on Microsoft.com) and 7-Zip. For more
information, see “Using an Archiving Tool for Backup” on page 39 and documentation for
the third-party tool.
If you create an archive backup, keep in mind that creating a complete archive backup can
take several hours. You must lock and deactivate the database before creating the archive.
You can save time by removing old backups from the _Backup folder, located by default in
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG\_Backup.
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG Only)
To reunite a split database (AvidWG only):
1. If you are working on a cluster system, make sure that cluster services that provide the local
S drive are running.
2. Lock the database to make sure that no user can access it:
a. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click Lock/Unlock
Database.
b. Select the database in the Unlocked Databases list.
c. Click Lock Database.
The database name appears in the Locked Databases list.
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG Only)
239
3. Deactivate the database:
a. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click Manage
Databases.
b. Select the database name in the Databases list.
c. Click Deactivate.
The database name no longer appears in the Databases list.
4. If you do not have a complete Interplay database backup available, manually create an
archive backup of the database from both database locations:
-\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG
-\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG
By default, this folder is
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG (non-cluster system)
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG (cluster system)
5. Copy the necessary files and folders from
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG
to
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG
Windows Explorer cannot copy paths longer than 256 characters or Unicode names that are
not in the default operating system language. If the database includes either or both of these
items, use a tool such as Robocopy or 7-Zip.
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG Only)
240
The following table lists the files and folders that you need to copy. These files and folders
are illustrated in “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
cIn a correctly split database, the AvidWG folder on the Interplay Engine should contain
only the _Database folder. If the AvidWG folder on shared storage includes a _Database
folder, do not copy this folder to the Interplay Engine. Rename this folder
_Database_UNUSED or something similar before copying the other content to the
Interplay Engine.
6. Delete or rename \\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG\FolderLocations.xml.
7. Edit the workgroup.xml file to include only the following path:
\\IEServer\WG_Database$
See “Configuring the workgroup.xml File” on page 246.
Copy from
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG
to
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG
_Backup folder
_Buckets folder
_CheckIn folder
_Handover folder
_Import folder
_Master folder
_PropertyHandover folder
_PropertyStore folder
_AvidWG.nif
Aliasconfig.xml
AvidWG.pro
FolderLocations.xml
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and _InternalData)
241
8. Activate the database:
a. In the Interplay Administrator, click Manage Databases.
b. In the “Database (.pro) file to activate” text box, type the full UNC path to the .pro file,
which now resides on the Interplay Engine server. For example:
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG\AvidWG.pro.
c. Make sure “Load Database on Activation” is selected, and click Activate.
If the database is activated, its name is displayed in the Databases list. The database is
automatically unlocked.
9. Check the backup location in the Schedule Backups view of the Interplay Administrator.
If the _Backup folder was located on shared storage, it is now located on the Interplay
Engine. If necessary, change the location to the Interplay Engine or to another external file
server.
10. In the Server Settings view of the Interplay Administrator, make sure the path for the “Root
folder for data” matches the path for the “Root folder for database.”
This location is used if you create a new database.
11. Test the setup by doing the following:
a. Open one Interplay Access client.
b. Connect to the database and import a new file asset.
c. Lock and unlock the database.
d. After reconnecting to the database with Interplay Access, check if the file is still in the
database.
12. If the test is successful, delete or rename the folder
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG.
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and
_InternalData)
To reunite a split database (AvidWG and _InternalData):
1. If you are working on a cluster system, make sure that cluster services that provide the local
S drive are running.
2. Lock the database to make sure that no user can access it:
a. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click Lock/Unlock
Database.
b. Select the database in the Unlocked Databases list.
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and _InternalData)
242
c. Click Lock Database.
The database name appears in the Locked Databases list.
3. Deactivate the database:
a. In the Database section of the Interplay Administrator window, click Manage
Databases.
b. Select the database name in the Databases list.
c. Click Deactivate.
The database name no longer appears in the Databases list.
4. In the Server Settings view of the Interplay Administrator, edith the path for the “Root folder
for data” to match the path for the “Root folder for database.”
This location is used if you create a new database.
5. Shut down the Interplay Engine services:
- On a cluster system, bring the Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor resource (not the
resource group) offline.
- On a non-cluster system, stop the services Avid Workgroup TCP COM Bridge and the
service Avid Workgroup Server Browser and run C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay
Engine\Server\NxNServerShutdown.exe.
For more information on Interplay Engine services, see “Avid Interplay Engine Servers and
Services” on page 256.
6. If you do not have a complete Interplay database backup available, manually create an
archive backup from both database locations:
-\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG
-\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG
By default, this folder is
D:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG (non-cluster system)
S:\Workgroup_Databases\AvidWG (cluster system)
7. Copy the necessary files and folders from
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG
to
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG
Windows Explorer cannot copy paths longer than 256 characters or Unicode names that are
not in the default operating system language. If the database includes either or both of these
items, use a tool such as Robocopy or 7-Zip.
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and _InternalData)
243
The following table lists the files and folders that you need to copy. These files and folders
are illustrated in “Reuniting a Split Database” on page 235.
cIn a correctly split database, the AvidWG folder on the Interplay Engine should contain
only the _Database folder. If the AvidWG folder on shared storage includes a _Database
folder, do not copy this folder to the Interplay Engine. Rename this folder
_Database_UNUSED or something similar before copying the other content to the
Interplay Engine.
8. Use Windows or a tool that can copy long path names to copy the _InternalData folder from
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName
to
\\IEServer\WG_Database$
If the contents of the folder are split between the Interplay Engine and the shared storage
workspace, copy the files and folders listed in the following table.
Copy from
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG
to
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG
_Backup folder
_Buckets folder
_CheckIn folder
_Handover folder
_Import folder
_Master folder
_PropertyHandover folder
_PropertyStore folder
_AvidWG.nif
Aliasconfig.xml
AvidWG.pro
FolderLocations.xml
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and _InternalData)
244
cIf the _InternalData folder on shared storage includes a _Database folder, do not copy this
folder to the Interplay Engine. Rename this folder _Database_UNUSED or something
similar before copying the other content to the Interplay Engine.
9. Delete or rename \\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG\FolderLocations.xml.
10. Delete or rename \\IEServer\WG_Database$\_InternalData\FolderLocations.xml.
11. Edit the workgroup.xml file to include only the following path:
\\IEServer\WG_Database$
See “Configuring the workgroup.xml File” on page 246.
12. Open a Command Prompt window, type
regedit
, and navigate to the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avid Technology\Workgroup\Avid
Workgroup\DatabaseServer
Check the UNC paths for RecentProject1 and RecentProject2. Both paths should show the
Interplay Engine server, as shown in the following illustration.
Copy from
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\_InternalData
to
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\_InternalData
_Backup folder
_Buckets folder
_CheckIn folder
_Handover folder
_Import folder
_Master folder
_PropertyHandover folder
_PropertyStore folder
_AvidWG.nif
Aliasconfig.xml
AvidWG.pro
FolderLocations.xml
Reuniting a Split Database (AvidWG and _InternalData)
245
13. Start the Interplay Engine services:
- On a cluster system, bring the Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor resource (not the
resource group) online.
- On a non-cluster system, start the services Avid Workgroup TCP COM Bridge and the
service Avid Workgroup Server Browser.
14. Activate the database:
a. In the Interplay Administrator, click Manage Databases.
b. In the “Database (.pro) file to activate” text box, type the full UNC path to the .pro file,
which now resides on the Interplay Engine server. For example:
\\IEServer\WG_Database$\AvidWG\AvidWG.pro.
c. Make sure “Load Database on Activation” is selected, and click Activate.
If the database is activated, its name is displayed in the Databases list. The database is
automatically unlocked.
15. Check the backup location in the Schedule Backups view of the Interplay Administrator.
If the _Backup folder was located on shared storage, it is now located on the Interplay
Engine. If necessary, change the location to the Interplay Engine or to another external file
server.
16. Test the setup by doing the following:
a. Open one Interplay Access client.
b. Connect to the database and import a new file asset.
Configuring the workgroup.xml File
246
c. Lock and unlock the database.
d. After reconnecting to the database with Interplay Access, check if the file is still in the
database.
17. If the test is successful, delete or rename the folder
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName\AvidWG.
Configuring the workgroup.xml File
When you reuniting a split database, you must edit the workgroup.xml file to remove the path for
the file repository share.
This file is located in the Interplay Engine installation directory, for example,
• C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml
(non-cluster systems)
• S:\WorkgroupData\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml (cluster systems).
nOn a cluster system, the following file might be installed on both nodes: C:\Program
Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml. These files are not currently
used and do not need to be edited.
The default database location that you specified during the Interplay Engine installation is
published through this file as a default. The following example shows the section of
workgroup.xml that includes the database location:
<filetransfer>
<path read="true" write="true”>
\\IEServer\WG_Database$
</path>
</filetransfer>
For IEServer, substitute the network name for the Interplay Engine server.
Configuring the workgroup.xml File
247
If the file repository was moved to a different location, such as a shared-storage workspace, this
location was published in this file as well. For example:
<filetransfer>
<path read="true" write="true”>
\\IEServer\WG_Database$
</path>
<path read="true" write="true”>
\\SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName
</path>
</filetransfer>
When reuniting a split database, delete the path for SharedStorageServer\WorkspaceName. For
example, \\AAC-ISIS\File_Assets.
<path read="true" write="true”>
\\AAC-ISIS\File_Assets
</path>
AInstalled Components and Services
The following topics provide information about components and services that are installed as
part of the Interplay Administrator:
•Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
•Required TCP/IP Ports
•Avid Interplay Engine Servers and Services
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
The following components are installed in the Avid Interplay Engine directory. By default, this
directory is created during installation as C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine.
• Apache: This folder includes an Apache server to provide access to Preview images and to
provide client access. See “Apache Folder” on page 249.
• Data: This folder contains all server-relevant configuration and data files. See “Data Folder”
on page 251.
• Logs: This folder contains the log files written by the Interplay Engine. See “Logs” on
page 252.
• NxN: This directory contains services and modules for the Apache server.
• PreviewServer: This directory contains a tool for cleaning the Preview Server cache. See
“Preview Server Folder” on page 255.
• Server: This directory contains all data to execute an Interplay Engine on this machine. See
“Server Folder” on page 256.
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
249
Apache Folder
The Apache web server handles every incoming request and forwards them to the database
server. The Apache folder includes important logs from the Apache process.
nNew log entries are appended to the log files, which makes them grow over time. The log files are
not deleted automatically. This must be done manually, if required.
error.log
This log file contains error messages and notices. An entry is received, for example, if a
connection to the TCP/COM bridge failed. An entry is also created when a client logged in or
logged off. The entries in this case look similar to the following:
[Thu Mar 14 18:24:07 2002] [notice] logon request received, session
'bad5781de4bd712b8bf49c7376de3cd4:1016126647' created
[Thu Mar 14 18:43:45 2002] [notice] logoff request for session
'bad5781de4bd712b8bf49c7376de3cd4:1016126647' received
A logon entry is always created when a client logs on, while a logoff entry is only created if the
client performs a clean logout. No logoff entry is created if, for example, the network connection
is interrupted.
access.log
The access.log file contains a log of every incoming request similar to the following:
192.168.1.199 - - [22/Jan/2002:21:11:49 +0100] "POST /nxn/workgroup/http
HTTP/1.1" 200 172
File Path (C:\Program
Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine) Description
Apache\logs\error.log The central Apache web server log file
that contains important messages from
the Apache process, especially warnings
and errors.
Apache\logs\access.log The central Apache web server access log
file. Only created if you enable this in
Apache's configuration (httpd.conf).
Apache\bin\Machines\[MACHINENAM
E]\Apache.log
Contains preview server and generator
errors.
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
250
The items in such a log entry are:
• The IP address of the machine where the request was coming from;
• The date and time when the request was received;
• The request method (GET or POST), the request URI and any request parameters;
• The HTTP status codes returned to the client.
The returned status codes are the standard HTTP codes as described in RFC 2616 available
under http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2616.txt. Some of the important values are:
• 200 OK: The request has succeeded.
• 403 Forbidden: The server refuses to perform the request.
• 404 Not found: The server has not found anything matching the requested URI.
• 500 Internal server error.
nThe creation of the access.log file is by default deactivated for performance and space reasons.
Activating Creation of the access.log File
To activate creation of the access.log file:
1. Open the httpd.conf file.
This is the Apache server configuration file located in the Interplay Engine installation
directory, for example, C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Apache\conf
2. Remove the # from one of the two lines in the file that appear as follows:
#CustomLog logs/access.log common
or
#CustomLog logs/access.log combined
See the file itself for further information.
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
251
Data Folder
The Data folder contains server-relevant configuration and data files, including the following
Apache modules and configuration files used by the Avid Interplay Preview Server and Avid
Interplay HTTP Server.
File Path (C:\Program
Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine) Description
Data\Apache\conf\httpd.conf The configuration file for the Apache web
server.
Data\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml This file contains settings for the
Avid Interplay Apache modules.
The settings in this file are used, for
example, by the filetransfer and the
preview server modules. The file transfer
section contains items such as a list of
UNC paths to which the Interplay HTTP
server can browse. The preview section
defines variables such as when the
preview cache expires.
Data\TCPCOMBridge\ServerXML.xml Contains settings for client access.
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
252
Logs
The Logs folder contains the following logs:
In Interplay version 1.6 and later, the Interplay Engine compresses and archives log files older
than 7 days. The log compression process runs during project backup. For more information see
“Restoring Archived Log Files” on page 52.
AvDeletes.log
The AvDeletes.log file includes the following information about media delete operations:
• Date and time of the delete operation
• Login of the user who performed the delete operation
• Computer name of the machine on which the delete operation was performed
• Name and path of the master clip deleted
• Name and path of the media files deleted, with deletion time in milliseconds (ms)
File Path (C:\Program
Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine) Description
Logs\Machines\[COMPUTER
NAME]\AvDeletes.log
Records information about media delete
operations. See “AvDeletes.log” on
page 252.
Logs\Machines\[COMPUTER
NAME]\AvMetaDataDelete.log
Records information about metadata
delete operations. See
“AvMetaDataDelete.log” on page 254
Logs\Machines\[COMPUTER
NAME]\AvMoveEx.log
Records information about move
operations. See “AvMoveEx.log” on
page 254.
Logs\Machines\[COMPUTER
NAME]\NxNServer.log
The central Avid Interplay Engine Server
log file containing information messages,
warning and error messages generated by
the Avid Interplay Engine Server.
Logs\Machines\[COMPUTERNAME]\
NxNTCPCOMBridge.log
The log file for the Avid Interplay
TCP/COM Bridge. Is not created until the
first message occurs.
Logs\Machines\[COMPUTERNAME]\
NxNBackup.log
Contains the backup log.
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
253
The following example shows these items.
q
w
e
r
q
w
eNames and paths of four media files successfully deleted, with deletion time in milliseconds (ms)
rFailure to delete one object with Windows error “net path not found 0x35”
Date, time, user login, and host system for the delete operation
Name and path of master clip deleted
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] User 'airspeed' on host 'muc-ifsputnik' deleting media
for:
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] /Projects/ETPB-
1/INCOMING1/VIEWCUT_7151_MEDEA_020809_JT
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Media locations:
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Successfully deleted file //caetavdisis/feeds_a/avid
mediafiles/mxf/tm_caetavdetpb-1/etpb_1v01d015d6.mxf 57 ms
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Successfully deleted file //caetavdisis/feeds_a/avid
mediafiles/mxf/tm_caetavdetpb-1/etpb_1a01d015d6.mxf 25 ms
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Successfully deleted file //caetavdisis/feeds_a/avid
mediafiles/mxf/tm_caetavdetpb-1/etpb_1a02d015d6.mxf 25 ms
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Successfully deleted file //caetavdisis/lowres/Avid
MediaFiles/MXF/CAETAVDTC02.1/VIEWCUT_7151_MEDEA_498FCF9C.mxf 25 ms
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] User 'airspeed' on host 'muc-ifsputnik' deleting media
for:
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] /Projects/ETPB-1/INCOMING1/ccut street song recut
012809
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Media locations:
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Successfully deleted file //caetavdisis/Feeds_A/Avid
MediaFiles/MXF/TM_caetavdetpb-1/ETPB_1V01249C352.mxf 25 ms
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Unable to delete file //caetavdisis/Feeds_A/Avid
MediaFiles/MXF/TM_caetavdetpb-1/ETPB_1A01249C352.mxf (net path not found 0x35) 0
ms
[Mon May 25 14:02:29 2009] Successfully deleted file //caetavdisis/Feeds_A/Avid
MediaFiles/MXF/TM_caetavdetpb-1/ETPB_1A02249C352.mxf 25 ms
AvDeletes.log
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
254
AvMetaDataDelete.log
The AvMetaDataDelete.log includes the following information about metadata delete
operations:
• Date and time of the delete operation
• Login of the user who performed the delete operation
• Computer name of the machine from on the delete operation was performed
• Display name, object handle, and path for every deleted object, grouped by path
• If an object could not be deleted, the error code (for example, a reservation)
The following example shows these items.
AvMoveEx.log
The AvMoveEx.log includes the following information:
• Date and time of the move operation
• Login of the user who performed the move operation
• Computer name of the machine on which the move operation was performed
[Mon May 25 14:02:30 2009] User 'airspeed' on host 'muc-ifsputnik' deleting meta-
data:
[Mon May 25 14:02:39 2009] From '/Projects/ETPB-1/INCOMING1/'
[Mon May 25 14:02:39 2009] 'ET_VCT_7143_US_MICHELLE_5A_CY' handle 163841
[Mon May 25 14:02:39 2009] 'VIEWCUT_7151_MEDEA_020809_JT.tr' handle 758621
[Mon May 25 14:02:39 2009] 'IN_VIEWCUT_STREETSONG_FINAL 012' handle 1260969
[Mon May 25 14:19:18 2009] User 'Administrator' on host 'muc-ifsputnik' deleting
metadata:
[Mon May 25 14:21:22 2009] From '/Orphan Clips/'
[Mon May 25 14:21:22 2009] 'Channel 4 News @ 5' handle 1231 failed to delete,
error 0x899901a6
[Mon May 25 14:21:39 2009] User 'Administrator' on host 'muc-ifsputnik' deleting
metadata:
[Mon May 25 14:21:40 2009] From '/Orphan Clips/'
[Mon May 25 14:21:40 2009] 'Channel 4 News @ 5' handle 1231
q
w
e
r
t
q
w
eNames and object handles of three objects successfully deleted
rName and object handle of an object that could not be deleted with error 0x899901a6 (Object is still referencing
media and cannot be deleted).
tSame object successfully deleted
Date, time, user login, and host system for the delete operation
Name of the folder that holds the deleted objects
Avid Interplay Engine Directory: Folders and Files
255
• Mime type (master clip, sequence, and so on), display name, object handle, and source and
target path of the moved objects
• If the objects are sequences or subclips, the deleted and created proxies and references
The following example shows these items.
Preview Server Folder
The Preview Server folder contains a script to clear the Preview Cache.
q
w
e
r
q
w
ePath the clip is being moved to
rDate, time, user login, and name of sequence being moved
Date, time, user login, host system, and name and object handle of the master clip being moved
Path the clip is being moved from
Fri May 29 11:02:45 2009] User 'airspeed' on host 'muc-ifsputnik' moving master-
clip 'Flash 1.mov' handle 1962859:
[Fri May 29 11:02:45 2009] From '/Projects/DAILY PROJECTS/ETS PROJECTS/ETS DAILY
PROJECTS/DONT_DELETE/LIGHT LEAKS ETC/'
[Fri May 29 11:02:45 2009] To '/Projects/AOT/Test/'
[Fri May 29 11:03:08 2009] User 'airspeed' on host 'muc-ifsputnik' moving sequence
'President' handle 538510:
[Fri May 29 11:03:08 2009] From '/Projects/AOT/Test/'
[Fri May 29 11:03:08 2009] To '/Projects/DAILY PROJECTS/ETS PROJECTS/ETS DAILY
PROJECTS/DONT_DELETE/LIGHT LEAKS ETC/'
[Fri May 29 11:03:09 2009] Proxies & References deleted at '/Projects/AOT/Test/'
during move:
[Fri May 29 11:03:09 2009] 'President' handle 538510
[Fri May 29 11:03:09 2009] 'President.Voice Over.1' handle 1108345
[Fri May 29 11:03:09 2009] Proxies & References created at '/Projects/DAILY
PROJECTS/ETS PROJECTS/ETS DAILY PROJECTS/DONT_DELETE/LIGHT LEAKS ETC/' during
move:
[Fri May 29 11:03:09 2009] 'President' handle 2799799
[Fri May 29 11:03:09 2009] 'Channel 4 News @ 5' handle 69537
[Fri May 29 11:03:09 2009] 'President.Voice Over.1' handle 376256
AvMoveEx.log
t
tProxy files and reference clips deleted and recreated for the sequence
Required TCP/IP Ports
256
Server Folder
The Server folder contains the Avid Interplay Engine Server installation.
Required TCP/IP Ports
When a client connects to the server through a local area network, the client uses HTTP.
On the server, port 8321 is used by the Avid Workgroup Server Browser service. The Avid
Workgroup Server Browser service listens and broadcasts on this port.
Port 80 on the server is used for client communication.
Avid Interplay Engine Servers and Services
This topic describes the different servers and services that Interplay needs to run properly. It also
provides information about the necessary access rights of these components to the file server.
Interplay has a typical client/server structure. The Interplay Engine (the server) is configured to
run on a central machine that is accessible to all users through a local area network (LAN) or the
Internet (WAN). The Interplay client applications are used to access and browse the central
database. An Interplay database consists of assets (files and folders) and metadata. See
“Interplay Databases, Folders, and Files” on page 27.
File Path (C:\Program
Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine) Description
Server\Machines\[COMPUTER
NAME]\MachineConfig.ini
This file is generated by the Avid
Interplay Engine Server. It contains
information about the versions of the dll's
loaded by the server.
Server\Config\Config.xml This file contains the current
configuration settings for the Avid
Interplay Engine events, such as
whenever the server runs out of disk
space, emails can be sent to the
administrator.
Avid Interplay Engine Servers and Services
257
Two servers are installed on the Interplay Engine:
• The Avid Interplay Engine Server is the central process where all assets and asset
meta-information are managed. See “Avid Interplay Engine Server” on page 257.
• The Avid Workgroup HTTP Server is a module for the Apache server that allows clients to
connect to the Avid Interplay Engine Server using a HTTP protocol. See “Avid Workgroup
HTTP Server” on page 258
Four services are installed on the Interplay Engine. You can view these services through the
Control Panel (Click Start and select Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services):
• Avid Workgroup Server Browser service: This service makes the Avid Interplay Engine
visible to the network. It answers requests on the 8313 port, which are called from the
clients. See “Avid Workgroup Server Browser Service” on page 259.
• Avid Workgroup Preview Server service: This service is an Apache web server. It provides
the thumbnail images for the Preview facility and the client connection interface. See “Avid
Workgroup Preview Server Service” on page 259.
• Avid Workgroup TCP COM Bridge service: This service provides a bridge from TCP calls
to the Avid Workgroup COM interface. See “Avid Workgroup TCP/COM Bridge Service”
on page 262.
• Avid Workgroup VSS service: This service provides backup functionality to the Avid
Interplay Engine (Interplay version 2.1 and later only). See “Avid Workgroup VSS Service”
on page 263.
One service is installed only on the Interplay Failover Cluster:
• Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor: This service starts the Engine Server process and
monitors the health of the Engine Server, Apache HTTP Server, and TCP/COM Bridge
components (Interplay version 2.3 and later only) See “Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor
Service” on page 264.
Avid Interplay Engine Server
The Avid Interplay Engine Server is the central process where all assets and asset metadata are
managed. The main task of the server is to manage all the information that is in the database and
implement the server-side logic of database operations. The database itself is changed whenever
content in the database has been changed; therefore the Interplay Engine process needs fast
access to the location where the database is installed.
Backups
The database files, as well as the assets, can be backed up while the Interplay Engine is running.
For details, see “Creating and Restoring Database Backups” on page 29.
Avid Interplay Engine Servers and Services
258
Processes
The process running is usually listed as NxNServer.exe or NXNSer~3.exe.
This process is automatically launched at startup (machine boot) from the Avid Workgroup
Server Browser Service. If, however, it is not running at any time and clients try to access it, it is
automatically launched.
The Interplay Engine always runs under the user specified in the DCOMConfig Settings.
DCOMCNFG is a Windows utility that allows you to configure various DCOM-specific settings
in the registry. To access it, type dccomcnfg at the Command Prompt.
cDo not change the settings using the DCOM configuration tool. Instead, use
NxNServerUser.exe to change the user under which the Avid Interplay Engine Server and
other servers and services run. See “Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account”
on page 230.
Windows Services
There is no Windows service associated with this server process.
Requirements
• The Avid Interplay Engine Server must run on a Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server
2008. For additional hardware requirements, see the Avid Interplay Software Installation and
Configuration Guide.
• The user under which the Avid Interplay Engine Server runs (the Server Execution User)
needs to have full read/write access to the database directory and to the Avid shared-storage
workspaces.
Avid Workgroup HTTP Server
The Avid Workgroup HTTP Server is a module for the Apache server which allows clients to
connect to the Avid Interplay Engine Server using a HTTP protocol.
These modules are run by the same instance of Apache as the Avid Workgroup Preview Server
modules.
Connectivity
See “Avid Workgroup Preview Server Service” on page 259.
Processes
See “Avid Workgroup Preview Server Service” on page 259.
Avid Interplay Engine Servers and Services
259
nThe Avid Interplay HTTP Server uses the Apache modules
NxNworkgroupFileTransferService.nsm and NxNworkgroupInternetBridge.nsm.
Windows Services
See “Avid Workgroup Preview Server Service” on page 259.
Requirements
See “Avid Workgroup Preview Server Service” on page 259.
Avid Workgroup Server Browser Service
The Avid Workgroup Server Browser service is responsible for providing information about the
Interplay Engine server to Avid Interplay clients and searching for the available servers and
databases. The Avid Workgroup Server Browser listens to port 8313.
Processes
The process running is usually listed as NxNworkgroupServerBrowser.exe or NxNworkgroupSe.
This process launches the Avid Interplay Engine Server during startup.
Windows Services
The Avid Workgroup Server Browser is started automatically at system startup. This service
always runs under the local system account. The main task of this service is to start the main
Avid Interplay Engine process (NXNServer.exe). In order to access files on the file server, the
main Interplay Engine process needs to run under a user account that has access to the file server.
Requirements
• The Avid Workgroup Server Browser must run on the same machine as the Avid Interplay
Engine Server.
• Port 8313 needs to be open.
Avid Workgroup Preview Server Service
The Avid Workgroup Preview Server service generates upon demand thumbnails and preview
images of items already in the database.
For items only on the local machine (not imported yet), the previews are generated directly on
the client machine.
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On both the Preview Server and on the local machine, cache directories keep the generated
previews.
• On the Preview Server: in the directory you specified during installation, by default
\\IEServer\\WG_Database$\PreviewServer\Cache.
• On the local machine: C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application
Data\Avid\Workgroup\Cache\Preview.
The server is implemented as a module for Apache.
Connectivity
The Preview Server is accessed only from clients via HTTP. It uses the default port 80.
nMake sure that no other application allocates port 80. For example, IIS might be installed as the
default HTTP server. In this case, deactivate the corresponding application.
Processes
There are two processes of Apache.exe running. One of them is a watchdog whose only task is to
make sure that the main Apache process is running. The main Apache process serves the preview
requests of port 80.
nThe Avid Interplay Preview Server uses the Apache module NxNworkgroupPreviewService.nsm.
Windows Services
The Avid_Workgroup_Preview_Server is started automatically at system startup. This service
always runs under the local system account.
Requirements
• The Avid Workgroup Preview Server must run on the same machine as the Avid Interplay
Engine Server.
• Since the Avid Workgroup Preview Server needs to access the files on the file server during
thumbnail rendering, a user with appropriate access rights must be impersonated for each
preview action. To ensure that the impersonated user can access the files, we strongly advise
setting it to the same user under which the Avid Interplay Engine Server runs.
The user name and encrypted password for the impersonation is stored in the following
registry keys:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avid Technology\Workgroup\Avid
Workgroup Server\ExecutionUser
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Avid Technology\Workgroup\Avid
Workgroup Server\ExecutionSettings
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cChange the impersonation settings for the Avid Interplay Preview Server with the
NXNServerUser.exe tool only. See “Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account”
on page 230.
Configuring the Preview Service
The Preview Service is responsible for the generation of thumbnails and preview images on the
server, as well as delivering them to the Interplay application.
All settings can be edited in the workgroup.xml file in the <preview><settings … /> section.
This file is located in the Interplay Engine installation directory, for example,
• C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml
(non-cluster systems)
• S:\WorkgroupData\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml (cluster systems).
The settings should look similar to the following. Default settings are shown; the actual file
references the locations you specified during installation:
<settings
CacheRoot="C:\WG_Database$\PreviewServer/Cache"
IconRoot=”C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Apache/icons"
ServerEnableDiskGuard="yes"
ServerCacheMinFreeDiskSpace="250mb"
ThumbnailImageFormat="png"
ThumbnailsUseAlpha="yes"
PreviewsUseAlpha="yes"
/>
The Preview Server reads the settings from this file when the service is started. This means
settings become active only after you restart the Preview Server. You can do this without
restarting the whole machine by restarting the service Avid_Workgroup_Preview_Server. Select
Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services, double-click the service, and click Start.
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262
Description of Preview Generation Settings in workgroup.xml
• CacheRoot: Path where previews and thumbnails generated by the preview server are stored.
This location is used by the preview server to create a cache of converted images. The
preview server can reuse those images for subsequent requests from any client. To ensure
best performance, this path should reside on a disk that has enough free space available to
hold a reasonable working set of cached images. While the default is inside of the database
directory of the Avid Interplay Engine, it is a good idea to place it on a different disk.
• IconRoot: Path to a directory where a set of icons is stored, usually pointing into the Avid
Interplay Engine installation directory. The icons stored here are used by the Preview Server
if, for example, a thumbnail generation failed or if an asset has an unknown format or is not
an image/video file.
• ServerEnableDiskGuard: If “yes”, the free space on disk is constantly checked and cache
files are purged if necessary. If “no”, cache files are never deleted. “1” and “0” are other
possible notations.
• ServerCacheMinFreeDiskSpace: If the disk guard is enabled it tries to ensure that the disk
cache leaves at least this amount of space free on the disk. The disk guard cannot always
ensure this limit because it works in parallel to the normal preview server operation and
other applications might store data on the same disk. Use a value that is high enough to
overcome spike usage on your disk. The disk guard removes the oldest cached files first.
Values are by default (no suffix) in megabytes, but can be specified in gigabytes ('gb'), or
terabytes ('tb'), respectively ('1gb' == '1024').
• ThumbnailImageFormat: This is the format used by client application to request thumbnails.
This should always match the requests made by the client application. It is advisable to set
this to “png.” Note: The client does not change the request format if this setting is changed.
• ThumbnailsUseAlpha: If “yes,” generated thumbnails use the alpha channel to let a white
background shine through the normal image. Use “no” to ignore alpha channel information.
nGenerated thumbnails never contain any alpha information. This setting only renders the alpha
channel into the normal image data.
• PreviewsUseAlpha: If “yes,” generated preview images are delivered to the client with the
alpha channel included (if it is actually displayed is a client option). Use “no” to generate
previews without any alpha channel information.
Avid Workgroup TCP/COM Bridge Service
The Avid Workgroup TCP/COM Bridge service acts as bridge to the Avid Interplay Engine
Server.
The Avid Workgroup HTTP Server needs the Avid Interplay TCP/COM Bridge to connect to the
Avid Interplay Engine Server.
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263
Connectivity
The Avid Workgroup TCP/COM Bridge listens to port 8318.
Processes
The process running is usually NXNTCP~1.exe from NXNTCPCOMBridge.exe.
Windows Services
The service “Avid Workgroup TCP COM Bridge” is automatically started at system startup and
should be running all the time.
Requirements
• The Avid Workgroup Server Browser must run on the same machine as the Avid Interplay
Engine Server.
• The Avid Workgroup TCP/COM bridge needs to run under the same user account as the
Avid Interplay Engine Server. To check under which user the bridge runs, use the Windows
Services Control Panel.
To check the user account, click Start, click Run, and type services.msc. Right-click Avid
Workgroup TCP COM Bridge and select Properties. In the Log On tab, the This Account
option should display the Server Execution User.
cUse the tool NXNServerUser.exe to change the Server Execution User. Do not change the
settings in the Control Panel. See “Troubleshooting the Server Execution User Account” on
page 230.
Avid Workgroup VSS Service
The Avid Workgroup VSS service provides backup functionality to the Avid Interplay Engine
(Interplay version 2.1 and later only). By working with the Windows Vol u m e S h a d ow C o p y
service, it significantly reduces the impact of the backup process on other engine operations.
The Avid Interplay Engine needs the Avid Workgroup VSS Service to create scheduled backups
of its databases.
Connectivity
The VSS Service communicates with the Avid Interplay Engine using standard Operating
System pipes.
Processes
The process running is usually IEVSSS~1.EXE or IEVSSService.exe.
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264
Windows Services
The Avid Workgroup VSS service is automatically started at system startup and should be
running all the time. This service always runs under the local system account. The Avid
Workgroup VSS service requires that the Windows Volume Shadow Copy service is also
running. The Windows Volume Shadow Copy service is installed by default and started
automatically.
Requirements
• The Avid Workgroup VSS service must run on the same machine as the Avid Interplay
Engine Server.
• The Avid Workgroup VSS service requires that the Windows Volume Shadow Copy service
is also running.
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Service
The Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor is responsible for creating the Engine Server process and
for monitoring the health of the Engine Server process, the Apache HTTP server, and the
TCP/COM Bridge. On Failover Cluster installations this service is controlled by a cluster
resource of the same name.
The Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor regularly tries to connect to the Engine Server process, the
Apache HTTP server, and the TCP/COM Bridge. If those components are too slow to respond or
do not respond at all, the Engine Monitor will trigger restarts of those components through the
corresponding cluster resources.
The Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor logs actions and health issues to the Application Event
log.
Example 1: Startup:
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Event ID 22: Service has been started
successfully
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Event ID 28: Workgroup Engine process started
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Event ID 30: Monitoring thread started:
thorough ping 90 sec, heart beat max idle 90 sec, monitoring interval 15 sec
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265
Example 2: COM Failure
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Event ID 42: Failed to connect Workgroup
Engine with DCOM 'Error 800706bb happened 8 times within the last 14981
msec'
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Event ID 31: Thorough check failed: Result
code: 0x800706be
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor Event ID 33: Monitoring thread terminated
Processes
The process running is usually listed as IEMonitorService.exe or IEMONI~1.EXE.
Windows Services
The service Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor is started by the cluster resource “Avid Workgroup
Engine Monitor.”
Requirements
• The Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor must run on the same machine as the Avid Interplay
Engine Server. (This is ensured by the “Avid Workgroup Server” cluster resource group.)
• The Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor needs to run under the same user account as the Avid
Interplay Engine Server. To check under which user the Engine Monitor runs, use the
Windows Services Control Panel.
To check the user account, click Start, click Run, and type services.msc. Right-click Avid
Workgroup Engine Monitor and select Properties. In the Log On tab, the This Account option
should display the Server Execution User.
BInterplay Engine Configuration Files
The following topics provide information for configuration that you might need to do only under
certain circumstances, such as troubleshooting:
•Configuring the Server Event Manager
•Configuring Client Access
•Setting the Filetransfer Server
Configuring the Server Event Manager
The Server Event Manager is a service that automatically informs administrators whenever an
important event occurs on the server, for example, when the hard drive is almost full. Basic
settings are configured in the Config.xml and LogWatch.xml files.
Consider the following:
• When the Interplay Engine server sends e-mails, it uses the login of the Server Execution
User. Make sure the mail server is aware of the username and password of this account
(usually a domain account). If the mail server is not aware of this account, it might reject the
e-mail request.
• E-mail service might be unreliable if there are too many event notices in a short time frame.
Some events might be dropped. Because a large number of event notices indicates a
problem, the administrator needs to investigate and correct the problem.
Config.xml File
The Interplay Engine reads its event manager settings from a file called Config.xml. By default,
e-mail notification is disabled in the installation program. If you select e-mail notification during
installation, basic settings are created in this file. If you want to add e-mail notification after
installation, you can edit the Config.xml file.
The Config.xml file is located in the Interplay Engine installation directory, for example,
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Server\Config.
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267
The configuration file is an XML file that has the following format:
<XML>
<Events>
<Event Name=”Name of Event”>
<Action Name=”Name of Action”>
<Parameter Name=”Name of Parameter”>
Value of Parameter
</Parameter>
...
</Action>
<Parameter Name=”Name of Parameter”>
Value of Parameter
</Parameter>
...
</Event>
<Parameter Name=”Name of Parameter”>
Value of Parameter
</Parameter>
...
</Events>
</XML>
The <Events> block specifies to which events the Interplay Engine should react. The <Events>
block contains <Event> blocks that specify the names of the events that you want configured
here.
Inside each <Event> block is the <Action> block that specifies the actions to be performed
whenever an event occurs. The attribute “Name” describes which action is to be performed.
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268
The <Parameter> blocks are used to specify the behavior of an action. It is also possible to
identify a parameter by its “Name” attribute. Parameters are identified by their
“Name” attributes.
Whenever the server performs an action, it searches the parameters from the inside out, which
means it searches the parameter block inside the <Action> block first and then inside the
<Events> block. This allows you to specify a parameter for all events. Alternatively, you can
specify a parameter for all actions of an event.
Note the following:
• When the Interplay Engine server sends e-mails, it uses the login of the Server Execution
User. Make sure the mail server is aware of the username and password of this account
(usually a domain account). If the mail server is not aware of this account, it might reject the
e-mail request.
• E-mail service might be unreliable if there are too many event notices in a short time frame.
Some events might be dropped. Because a large number of event notices indicates a
problem, the administrator needs to investigate and correct the problem.
Supported Actions in Config.xml
The following section describes the action that is currently supported in Interplay and that is
configured in Config.xml to be performed when an event occurs.
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269
SendMail
The SendMail action is configured with the following XML block:
<Action Name=”SendMail”>
<Parameter Name=”SenderMachine”>
SERVERMACHINE
</Parameter>
<Parameter Name=”RCPTList”>
administrator@mydomain.com, info@mydomain.com
</Parameter>
<Parameter Name =”SenderAddress”>
ServerExecutionUser@mydomain.com
</Parameter>
<Parameter Name=”SMTPServer”>
123.123.123.123
</Parameter>
</Action>
The “SenderMachine” parameter specifies the name of the machine on which the server resides.
The “RCPTList” parameter contains a comma separated list of valid e-mail addresses. These
addresses should receive an e-mail whenever the server performs an action.
The “SenderAddress” parameter contains the e-mail address of the sender (the Server Execution
User). The sender should act as the originator of the sent e-mail.
Make sure the mail server is aware of the username and password of this account (usually a
domain account). If the mail server is not aware of this account, it might reject the e-mail
request.
The “SMTPServer” parameter contains a valid IP address of the mail server to which the mail is
to be sent.
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270
Supported Events in Config.xml
The following sections describe the events that are currently supported in Interplay and that can
be configured in Config.xml as events to which the Interplay Engine should react.
DiskLimit Event
The “DiskLimit” event is configured with the following XML block:
<Event Name=”DiskLimit”>
<Parameter Name=”FreeSpace”>
30 100 500
</Parameter>
</Event>
The “FreeSpace” parameter contains a list of numbers that specify the free space on the disk in
megabytes. Whenever the free space falls below one of the specified numbers, it triggers the
server to perform one of the configured actions.
BackupFailed Event
The “BackupFailed” event is triggered whenever the automatic backup of a database fails, that is,
when the _Database folder cannot be copied to the backup location.
The “BackupFailed” event is configured with the following XML block:
<Event Name="BackupFailed">
</Event>
To send an e-mail when a “BackupFailed” event is triggered, use the “SendMail” action
described in “Supported Actions in Config.xml” on page 268.
LogEvent Event
The “LogEvent” event is triggered according to the settings in the LogWatch.xml, in which an
administrator can specify what actions should happen if a severe problem inside of the Interplay
Engine occurs (for example, send an e-mail or shut down the server). The file allows a rough
definition by severity of the problem or a very detailed configuration via the message ID of the
problem.
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271
The LogEvent is configured in the Config.xml with the following XML block:
<Event Name="LogEvent">
</Event>
To send an e-mail when a “LogEvent” event is triggered, use the “SendMail” action.
See also “LogWatch.xml” on page 273.
ClusterResourceFailure Event
The “ClusterResourceFailure” event is triggered only in a failover cluster setup. It is sent
whenever a problem inside the cluster is detected.
The “ClusterResourceFailure” event is configured with the following XML block:
<Event Name="ClusterResourceFailure">
</Event>
To send an e-mail when a “ClusterResourceFailure” event is triggered, use the “SendMail”
action.
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272
Server Event Configuration Example
The following is an example of the configuration of a server to send e-mails whenever the
backup fails, or the free space on a server disk reaches one of the limits set, in this case 30, 100,
or 500 MB:
<XML>
<Events>
<Event Name=”DiskLimit”>
<Action Name=”SendMail”>
</Action>
<Parameter Name=”FreeSpace”>
30 100 500
</Parameter>
</Event>
<Event Name="BackupFailure">
<Action Name="SendMail">
</Action>
</Event>
<Parameter Name=”SenderMachine”>
SERVERMACHINE
</Parameter>
<Parameter Name=”RCPTList”>
administrator@mydomain.com, info@mydomain.com
</Parameter>
<Parameter Name=”SenderAddress”>
ServerExecutionUser@mydomain.com
</Parameter>
<Parameter Name=”SMTPServer”>
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273
123.123.123.123
</Parameter>
</Events>
</XML>
Here is an example of an e-mail sent by the Event Manager:
11/23/1999 12:09:14 [WGServer]
INFO:
This is a message sent by the Event Manager.
LogWatch.xml
Log event notifications are configured in LogWatch.xml, located in the Avid Interplay Engine
installation directory:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Server\Config.
Edit this file to assign actions for different log events. Actions can be assigned to all message
events of a given severity or to specific events by message IDs.
Action Value
None 0
Send mail 1
Shutdown server 2
Shutdown and lock server 3
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274
Sending E-mail Notifications from LogWatch.xml
To send e-mail notification on any error with a specific severity level:
tAdd a mapping entry to LogWatch.xml within the <SeverityMappings> scope.
For example:
<SeverityMappings>
<Mapping Severity = "<severity level>" Action = "<action id>"/>
</SeverityMappings>
For example, following entry sends an e-mail on every [FATAL]:
<SeverityMappings>
<Mapping Severity = "100" Action = "1"/>
</SeverityMappings>
To configure how and where the event notification should be sent, see “Supported Actions in
Config.xml” on page 268.
ID Severity
-500 Dump (debug dumps)
-400 Info (internal info)
-300 Message (external info, for users)
-200 Notes (status messages like "database
opened successfully")
-100 [WARN] (warnings like “loading took
more than 3 sec”)
0 [ERROR] (normal errors, like “file
couldn't be imported because it exists
already”)
100 [FATAL] (Recoverable critical Errors,
like “couldn't save database - disk
full”)
200 Critical (non-recoverable errors, such
as crashes)
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275
To send e-mail notification on a specific message event:
tAdd a mapping entry within MessageMapping scope (the message ID is decimal number)
<MessageMappings>
<Mapping MessageID = "<msg id>" Action = "<action id>"/>
</MessageMappings>
The message ID is the last number in brackets before the actual message string in the log
file. The message ID of the entry below is 0x00004678. Note that the log file displays
hexadecimal ids. You need to convert the numbers to decimal format before adding to the
message mapping.
[Thu Sep 16 17:27:43 2004] [FATAL] [.\NxNDbServer.cpp ] [
4627]
[0000034c] [00004678] Could not connect to Central Configuration Service
'XXX' for database 'YYY'
The message mapping for the error [4678] hex (which is 18040 in decimal) triggering “Send
email” action looks like the following:
<MessageMappings>
<Mapping MessageID = “18040" Action = "1"/>
</MessageMappings>
Configuring Client Access
The configuration file ServerXML.xml allows you to specify the client access when accessing
the server using HTTP from the client. In this configuration file, you specify servers that should
be visible to clients, which databases are available, and which users are allowed to access these
databases.
The Configuration file is located in a folder in the Avid Interplay Engine installation directory,
by default, C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\TCPCOMBridge. You configure
access for the client in this file.The ServerXML.dll resides at NxN/Workgroup.
nSettings you configure in the User Management view through the Interplay Administrator also
apply to the databases (see “Managing Database Roles” on page 134). These settings are an
additional security layer on top of the Interplay User Management.
Configuring Access
The <server> token specifies the name of the server on your network that should be visible to
clients connecting to a single server machine. Make sure that all of the database directories to be
accessed are shared and visible on the single server machine.
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276
Through <project> tokens, you specify which databases should be visible to clients connecting
to the single server. The token can have two attributes: “name” and “access.”
The “name” attribute specifies the name of the database. This name must be the same as the
name of the database configured in the Active Database List through the Interplay Administrator.
If a database is not in the Active Database List, it cannot be made visible by specifying its name
in <project> token either. You can also use the “*” as a wildcard character representing all
databases in the Active Database List.
The “access” attribute specifies the type of access for the database. If it is set to “allow,” clients
can see the database in the database browser and are allowed to access it. If the attribute is set to
“deny,” the database is not accessible and is not even visible to the clients. By default, everything
is set to “deny.”
With the <user> token, you specify which users are allowed to connect to a database. As with the
<project> token, the “name” and “access” attributes can also be used here. The name attribute is
the name of a user in the database. The “name” attribute supports the “*” (wildcard) value
representing all users.
Database and user settings are inherited from the parent node in the token tree if the settings are
not specified on the current level. This allows you to specify access permissions for all databases
on a server, or even for all servers.
The additional attribute “emptypassword” is supported for the <project> and <server> tokens.
This attribute can be set to the value “allow” or “deny.” If set to “deny,” then all connection
attempts by a user with no password specified are refused by the server or the database,
respectively. By default, whenever you create a user in an Interplay database, the password is set
to empty. Avid highly recommends setting this value to “deny” for security reasons.
Following are some examples illustrating the configuration of database and user access.
Example 1:
<XML>
<server name="WGSERVER">
</server>
</XML>
The server WGSERVER is visible to the outside, although no databases are accessible.
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277
Example 2:
<XML>
<server name="WGSERVER”>
<project name=”*” access=”allow” emptypassword=”deny”>
<user name=”*” access=”allow” />
</project>
</server>
</XML>
All databases on server WGSERVER are visible and any user can connect to the database. For all
databases, connection requests with empty passwords are refused.
Example 3:
<XML>
<server name="WGSERVER” emptypassword=”deny”>
<project name=”*” access=”allow”>
<user name=”*” access=”allow” />
<user name=”Administrator” access=”deny” />
<user name=”John” access=”deny” />
</project>
</server>
</XML>
All users except Administrator and John are allowed to access the databases on server
WGSERVER. For all databases on the server, connection requests with empty passwords are
refused.
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278
Example 4:
<XML>
<server name="WGSERVER”>
<user name=”*” access=”allow” />
<user name=”Administrator” access=”deny” />
<user name=”John” access=”deny” />
<project name=”Project1” access=”allow” />
<project name=”Project2” access=”allow”>
<user name=”Nina” access=”deny” />
</project>
</server>
</XML>
All users except Administrator and John are allowed to access the databases “Project1” and
“Project2.” Access to “Project2” for the user “Nina” is refused.
Example 5:
<XML>
<project name=”*” access=”allow” />
<user name=”*” access=”deny” />
<user name=”Administrator” access=”allow” />
<server name="WGSERVER” />
</XML>
All databases on the specified servers are accessible only to Administrators.
Setting the Filetransfer Server
279
Setting the Filetransfer Server
Additional configuration might be required when the Interplay Server is running inside of a
network configured using NAT. In this case, the IP returned by the Interplay Engine is the
internal address and not the external address needed by the client. The following change in the
workgroup.xml configuration file tells the client to connect to the file transfer server via its name
instead of address. This allows clients to connect to the file transfer server in most standard NAT
configurations.
<XML>
...
<http>
<filetransferservername>
myserver.mydomain.com
</filetransferservername>
</http>
...
</XML>
This file is located in the Interplay Engine installation directory, for example,
• C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Interplay Engine\Data\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml
(non-cluster systems)
• S:\WorkgroupData\Apache\conf\workgroup.xml (cluster systems).
CValid and Invalid Characters in Interplay
The following table lists the valid and invalid characters (also known as special characters) for
Interplay.
Although the following characters are valid for users and user groups in Interplay, they are not
supported when naming projects, bins, and users on Avid editing systems:
: * ? < >
Do not use these characters in Interplay user names or group names.
For information on International Character Support (ICS), see the Interplay Help.
nWhen you name a Mac OS X computer, use single-byte ASCII characters without spaces.
Allowed Not Allowed
Avid asset names Characters: / \ |
File asset names and
Interplay database
folder names
All characters allowed
for files in Windows
Characters: * ? : / \ " < > |
Names ending with a dot
Names used as DOS devices (LPT1, com1, .., .,, for
example)
Property names
(metadata field
names)
Characters: / \ |
Video ID metadata
field
Spaces, or characters / \ : * ? " < > |
Users and user
groups
Characters: / \ |" '
DSystem Metadata Properties
Metadata is textual data you can use to identify and describe the creation, contents, and
disposition of the clip or shotlist you are logging. Interplay comes with an extensive list of
system metadata.
The administrator determines some of the metadata properties that can be viewed in
Interplay Access as headings in the Content View and Object Inspector, and also used in
Interplay searches. Some metadata properties are always available and cannot be disabled.
By default, the Interplay Engine includes default sets of properties for Broadcast, Post and Film
layouts, as described in the following table.
The following table lists all system metadata properties.
nProperties can be added to the Interplay Production database if they were created in Media
Composer and assets with those properties were checked in to Interplay Production.
Broadcast Post Film
Content
Default
Inspector
Default
Content
Default
Inspector
Default
Content
Default
Inspector
Default
Comments
Created By
Creation Date
DRM
Duration
Format
Media Status
Modified Date
Name
Tape ID
Tracks
Comments
Duration
Media File
Format
Name
Tape ID
Tracks
Comments
Created By
Creation Date
DRM
Duration
Format
Media Status
Modified Date
Name
Tape
Tracks
Comments
Created By
Creation Date
Duration
Media File
Format
Name
Tape
Tracks
Camroll
Comments
Duration
End
KN Dur
KN End
KN Start
Name
Pullin
Pullout
Start
Camroll
Comments
Duration
End
KN Dur
KN End
KN Start
Name
Pullin
Pullout
Start
282
Heading Description
Search Values and Hints on
Searching in Interplay
All Custom All custom properties defined in the
Property Layout of the Interplay
Administrator.
Searches for all the custom properties that
are set.
Access Rights The access level or user role assigned to a
particular folder or asset. The column
displays an icon that represents the type
of access.
AFD Value for Active Format Description
(AFD) in an ancillary data track. Media
Composer v6.1 and later allows the
creation of AFD values, which are
supported in Interplay v2.7 and later.
AMA Media Status Indicates if an asset is linked to AMA
media. Values are:
• has AMA media linked
• has only AMA media linked
• no AMA media linked
Values are:
• has AMA media linked
• has only AMA media linked
• has native media linked
AudioBitDepth Audio bit depth used when you work with
audio files: 16 bit or 24 bit.
Type a value or use the arrows to select a
value.
AudioFormat Audio format of master clips (AIFF-C,
SDII, or WAVE).
AudioSR Audio resolution (sample rate).
Auto Transcode Status Shows if an auto-transcode job is
complete or not.
Auto Transfer Status Shows if an auto-transfer job is complete
or not.
AuxTC24 Original HDTV sources (1080p/24) or
audio DATs created for PAL feature film
productions that use in-camera timecode.
Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
283
Auxiliary Ink Auxiliary ink format settings allow you to
display an additional type of ink number.
This lets you track additional types of
film information for different film gauges.
Used for 24p projects, 25p projects, and
matchback projects only. Auxiliary Ink is
the starting frame for the clip.
AuxiliaryTC1 through
TC5
You can type an auxiliary timecode or
another timecode for editing film or audio
timecode for film.
Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
AuxInkDur Length of the clip, expressed in the
auxiliary ink number.
Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
AuxInkEdge Type of edgecode used in the auxiliary
ink number.
AuxInkEnd Ending auxiliary ink number for the clip. Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
AuxInkFilm Film gauge for the auxiliary ink number.
Cadence Type of pulldown present on the source
NTSC tapes when in a 23.976 or 24p
project.
Camera Camera used to film this clip. This feature
is used in multicamera shoots.
Camroll Camera roll containing this clip. Used for
24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback
projects only.
Category Assigned category. Categories are defined
by the administrator in the Configure
Categories view of the Interplay
Administrator.
Set to Ignore by default, change to a
category name to search only for items
assigned to that category.
CFPS Captured frames per second. Type a value or use the arrows to select a
value.
Closed Captions
Modification Time
The time an asset that has closed captions
created or edited in MediaCentral UX
was modified.
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Color The text display color for metadata of the
selected item in all Interplay Access
displays.
Returns items of selected color found.
The search does not find items colored
only by inheritance (only the parent is
returned).
Comments Displays any comments added as
metadata to the media file when it was
originally ingested or captured. You can
edit this field in Interplay Access.
Type text.
Created by Displays the name of the user who
created the shotlist.
Creation Date When the asset was created. The format
of the date and time depends on the local
language and regional options of the
operating system and the Java software.
Select a time range and a particular date
(for example, 12/4/04 or 12/4/2004) or a
time period from the pop-up menu. Click
the calendar to get clickable calendar.
Current Video Resolution Last resolution checked in with the asset.
Current/Last User Last user that checked the asset in or out.
Data Format Data format AAF or OMF. Select Is and then either AAF or OMF.
Database The Interplay database that contains the
asset.
Database Modification
Time
The last time the asset was modified in
the Interplay database
The Modified Date property refers to the
last time the asset was modified in the
Media Composer bin.
Date Deleted (Orphan Clips folder only) Displays the
date and time the last links was deleted.
Deleted By (Orphan Clips folder only) displays the
user name of the person who deleted the
last link.
Directly Playable in
Access
(Interplay Streaming Server v2.4 and
later) A green triangle in this column
indicates that a clip can be played in the
Interplay Access Monitor. Also applies to
subclips or shotlists created from playable
clips.
Heading Description
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Disk Label Displays the XDCAM disk label created
when you import XDCAM media. (This
value is not currently displayed in
Interplay Access.)
DPX Frame-counting field for Digital Picture
Exchange, a SMPTE standard describing
frames scanned from film. The format is
the following: a descriptor of up to 32
alphanumeric characters, followed by a
hyphen (-), followed by a six-digit frame
count, for example,
DPXChildDocu-023657.
DRM Digital Rights Management property. Has
the special operators Has DRM and Does
not have DRM.
Depending on the search flags, this search
can retrieve links to the assets, assets or
links and assets which have at least one
DRM protected media somewhere in the
structure. Searches for DRM should
return all of the sequences, subclips,
rendered effects, and so on that use a
restricted master clip. DRM is referred to
as “restrictions” in Interplay Assist, Avid
Instinct, and Avid editing systems.
Duration The length of the asset in hours, minutes,
seconds, and frames.
Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
End Timecode of the clip’s tail frame. Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
FilmTC Timecode used on film. Used for 24p and
25p projects only.
Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
Format The format of a clip or sequence as
determined by the project type, such as
30i NTSC or 1080i/59.94. This is
especially useful if you have both SD and
HD clips in the same bin.
FPS Play rate: the number of frames to be
displayed each second. The default is
29.97 for NTSC and 25 for PAL for
video. The play rate can also be 24 or
23.98.
Type a value or use the arrows to select a
value.
Heading Description
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Frame Chase Expected
Duration
Expected length of a clip captured by the
Frame Chase Editing method.
Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
Frame Chase Known
Duration
Current length of a clip being captured by
the Frame Chase Editing method.
Type numbers only in the four
colon-separated entry fields displayed.
Has Closed Captions An asset that has closed captions created
or edited in MediaCentral UX.
Criterion is Closed Captions, values are
“has Closed Captions” or “does not have
Closed Captions.”
In Use (Search only) If Is in use, asset is
referenced by a sequence also in the
database.
Select Is in use or Is not in use.
IN-OUT The length of the marked segment of a
clip, if any.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Initial Checkin Date Date that the asset was first checked in. Select a time range and a particular date
(for example, 12/4/04 or 12/4/2004) or a
time period from the pop-up menu. Click
the calendar to get clickable calendar.
InkDur Length of the clip, expressed in ink
number. Used for 24p projects, 25p
projects, and matchback projects only.
You cannot modify this number.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
InkEdge Type of edgecode used in the ink number.
InkEnd Ending ink number for the clip. You
cannot modify this number.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
InkFilm Film gauge for the ink number.
InkNumber Ink number for the clip. Used for 24p
projects, 25p projects, and matchback
projects only.
KN Dur Length of the clip, expressed in feet and
frames. Used for 24p projects, 25p
projects, and matchback projects only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
KNE nd Ending key number for the clip. Used for
24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback
projects only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
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KN Film Key number film gauge.
KN IN-OUT Mark IN and Mark OUT key number for
the clip. Used for 24p projects, 25p
projects, and matchback projects only.
KN Mark IN Key number for the IN point, if you set
one for the clip. Used for 24p projects,
25p projects, and matchback projects
only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
KN Mark OUT Key number for the OUT point, if you set
one for the clip. Used for 24p projects,
25p projects, and matchback projects
only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
KN Start Starting key number for the clip. Used for
24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback
projects only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Labroll Labroll containing the clip.
Last Checkin Date Date when the asset was last checked in. Select a time range and a particular date
(for example, 12/4/04 or 12/4/2004) or a
time period from the pop-up menu. Click
the calendar to get clickable calendar.
LUT File name of the color look-up table used
for the series of clips or frames.
Mark IN Timecode for the IN point, if you set one
for the clip.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Mark OUT Timecode for the OUT point, if you set
one for the clip.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Master Dur Length of the final master sequence,
expressed in feet and frames. You cannot
modify this number.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Master Edge Type of edgecode used in the final master
sequence.
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Master End Ending key number for the final master
sequence. You cannot modify this
number.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Master Film Gauge of the final master sequence.
Master Start Starting key number of the final master
sequence. Used for 24p projects, 25p
projects, and matchback projects only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Media File Format Clip media format. MXF or OMF.
Media Size Media file size. Specify KB, MB, GB and type a number.
Note that this specification cannot be
saved in a Saved Search.
Media Status Online, offline, or partially offline status,
or exists on another workgroup.
Select is/is not, and then online, offline,
partial, or nearonline.
Mob ID Media Object ID
Modified Date When the asset was last modified (from
the bin).
Select a time range and a particular date
(for example, 12/4/04 or 12/4/2004) or a
time period from the pop-up menu. Click
the calendar to get clickable calendar.
Name The name of the asset. Type text (not case sensitive; spaces
permitted).
Original Bin Name of the bin where the media for this
asset was originally captured.
Original Machine Name Name of the computer where the media
for this asset was originally captured.
Original Path (Orphan Clips folder only) Displays the
folder path for an asset whose last link
was deleted.
Original Project Name of the project under which the
media for this asset was originally
captured.
Project name (dropdown list).
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Path Path to assets in the Interplay database. Meant to be used in conjuction with other
search conditions to narrow the area
where the results are coming from: for
example, combine a search for all
masterclips that have been updated in the
last 10 minutes and that are in path
"/Projects/MyName/MyBin2.”
Select is or is not, then click the Select
button and choose a path from the tree.
Alternately, select contains or does not
contain and type text.
Perf Film edge perforations format used for
3-perf projects. Used for projects brought
forward from earlier releases only; now
superseded by the film size and perf
options available in Ink Film, AuxInk
Film, KN Film, and Master Film.
Playable in Access (Interplay Stream Server v2.3 and earlier)
A green triangle in this column indicates
that a clip is can be played in the Interplay
Access Monitor. Also applies to subclips
or shotlists created from playable clips.
Pullin Telecine pulldown of the first frame of the
clip (pulldown phase). Pullin can have the
values A, B, X (matchback only), C, or D.
Used for NTSC 24p projects and
matchback projects only.
Pullout Telecine pulldown of the last frame of the
clip. Pullout can have the values A, B, X
(matchback only), C, or D. Used for 24p
projects and matchback projects only.
(NTSC only)
Record Complete Indicates whether the capture operation is
finished for this asset.
Reel # Source reel number. Used for 24p and 25p
projects only.
Reservation Indicates whether there is a reservation
applied to this asset.
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Reserved (Search only) Indicated item is reserved
for specified timeframe by specified user.
Select a user and then select a time frame.
S3D Alignment Displays whether or not the media has
already been aligned by a third-party
application. Presently, this is just an
indicator for the editor. There are no
software functions associated with this
field.
• None (Default)
• Full: Indicates that media has been
pre-aligned by an external
application.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
S3D Channel Displays which channel this master clip
will deliver into the stereoscopic clip.
(Left eye, right eye and monoscopic are
full frame channels, while Side by Side
and Over/Under are frame compatible
channels.)
Left Eye: Indicates that the contents of
this clip are to be used as the Left eye.
Right Eye: Indicates that the contents of
this clip are to be used as the Right eye.
Over/Under: Indicates that this is frame
compatible media in an over/under
format.
Side by side: Indicates that this is frame
compatible media in a side by side
format.
Monoscopic: Indicates that this is a
standard 2D clip (not stereoscopic).
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
S3D Clip Name Displays the name that was used to name
the stereoscopic clip when it is created.
The name only needs to be set for one of
the contributing master clips. If no name
is entered for any of the contributing
clips, then the S3D Group name will be
used instead.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
Heading Description
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S3D Contributors
(master clip only)
Lists the S3D Channels (master clips) that
feed into the stereoscopic clip.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
S3D Eye Ordering Only available if the media is in a frame
compatible format with the S3D Channel
set to either Over/Under or Side by Side.
Specifies which half of the image the eye
is displayed.
Left-Right:
• For Side by Side format, the Left eye
is on the left, the Right eye is on the
right.
• For Over/Under format, the Left eye
is in the top half of the image, Right
eye is in the bottom.
Right-Left:
• For Side by Side format, the Right eye
is on the left, Left eye is on the right.
• For Over/Under format, the Right eye
is in the top half of the image, Left
eye is in the bottom.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
Heading Description
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S3D Group name A common name used to identify all
master clips originating from the same
stereoscopic footage. The group name is
used by the application to create a single
stereoscopic clip that references these
master clips. Therefore, this name must
be exactly the same for all clips that need
to be grouped into a stereoscopic clip.
When material is captured from tape, this
field is automatically populated for all the
left and right eye master clips.
When material is imported/linked from
file, this data may not be present. If so,
you can select the clips in the bin and
request for auto-population of the group
name.
If an S3D Clip name is not specified, then
the group name is used to name the
stereoscopic clip when it is created.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
S3D Inversion Displays if and how the contents of this
clip should be inverted before being used.
This is useful when beam-splitter rigs are
used during filming, and a mirror is used
to create the image for one of the eyes. In
this case, one of the eyes will be inverted
so it needs to be corrected
None: Leaves the image as is.
Horizontal: Inverts the image
horizontally.
Vertical: Inverts the image vertically.
Horizontal/Vertical: Inverts the image
horizontally and vertically.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
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S3D InversionR Only available if the media is in a frame
compatible format with the S3D Channel
set to either Over/Under or Side by Side.
Displays how the part of the image that
provides the right eye should be inverted
before being used.
None: Leaves the image as is.
Horizontal: Inverts the right eye image
horizontally.
Vertical: Inverts the right eye image
vertically.
Horizontal/Vertical: Inverts the right eye
image horizontally and vertically.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
S3D Leading Eye
(master clip only)
Displays which eye image should be used
when editing with the leading eye.
This is useful in scenarios where a
beam-splitter rig was used during filming.
In such a case, the leading eye is typically
the non-reflected image.
Left: (Default) Indicates that the left eye
image is the leading eye.
Right: Indicates that the right eye image
is the leading eye.
Criterion for Extended Search in Access
Scene Scene number of the clip. Type text.
ShootDate Date the footage was shot.
Slip Number and direction of perfs for
subclips (audio clips only).
SoundTC Timecode for audio. Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Soundroll Sound roll this clip came from. Used for
24p projects, 25p projects, and matchback
projects only.
Source File The source file name (from Media
Composer)
Heading Description
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Start Timecode of the clip’s head frame. Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Streamable Masterclips (Search only) Finds master clips that were
published for streaming (Interplay V2.3
and earlier). Can also be used to search
for clips with directly playable proxy
media.
are published, are not published. For
Interplay v2.4 and later, add criteria
“Media Status is online”
Synced Project GUID A unique identifier for a synced project
Synced Project Type One of the following:
• Project: contains folders and bins
• Folder: contains folders and bins
• Bin: contains assets
Take Take number of the scene. Type a number.
Tape Source tape name (from the bin). Type text (not case sensitive; spaces
permitted).
TC24 24-fps timecode. Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
TC25 25-fps timecode, no pulldown. Used for
24p and 25p projects only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
TC25P 25-fps timecode with PAL pulldown.
Used for 24p and 25p projects only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
TC30 30-fps timecode with 2:3 pulldown. Used
for 24p and 25p projects only.
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
TC30NP 30-fps timecode with no pulldown
(frames 00 through 29).
Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
TC60 60-fps timecode. Used for HD projects. Select an operator and then type numbers
only in the four colon-separated entry
fields displayed.
Heading Description
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Text Search only Combination of Name, Tape, User
Attributes, Comments, and Annotations
attributes. Allows you to search for text in
all attributes at once. Type text (not case
sensitive; spaces permitted).
Track Formats Multichannel audio tracks for master
clips and audio clips.
Tracking Displays colored icons that indicate the
status of shared assets across workgroups.
For more information, see “Viewing the
Status Assets Across Workgroups (Asset
Tracking).”
Tracks All tracks used by the asset (from the bin) Select Video, Audio, Data, or Timecode
Transfer Frame-counting field for sources that
have been prepped for transfer. The
format is the following: a descriptor of up
to 32 alphanumeric characters, followed
by a hyphen (-), followed by a six-digit
frame count, for example,
TransferChildDocu-023657.
Type Type of asset. Select an operator and then an asset type
from the dropdown list.
UNC Path Universal Naming Convention that
specifies the location of resources on a
server. The location you type becomes a
hyperlink to that location. Ctrl+click the
cell, and then type the location.
Version Comment For file assets, the version comment for
the last version checked in, or a check out
comment if the asset is checked out.
VFX Frame-counting field for visual effects.
The format is the following: a descriptor
of up to 32 alphanumeric characters,
followed by a hyphen (-), followed by a
six-digit frame count, for example,
FXChildDocu-023657.
VFX Reel Source reel identification for the FX shot.
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Video ID Lists the identification number created to
track a clip in a broadcast environment.
This ID is equivalent to the Tape ID in
Avid editors. You can edit this field in
Interplay Access.
VITC Vertical interval timecode.
Workspace Name of an Avid shared-storage
workspace
Type the name of the workspace.
Heading Description
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EServer Error Codes
The following table lists the error codes and the textual expressions that the Interplay Engine can
return.
0x52e Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
0x525 The specified user does not exist.
0x8000ffff Failed to open the database (catastrophic failure). Contact your
administrator. May require Avid support.
8007000e out of memory
80070005 Failed to open project: Access denied. The project is deactivated.
80004001 not implemented
80004005 general failure
89990010 out of range
89990011 nesting too deep
89990012 the operation was only partially successful
89990013 operation was canceled
89990020 database not initialized
89990021 database already initialized
89990022 database not available
89990023 database not found
89990024 database not open
89990025 database already exists
89990026 cannot load database initialization file
89990027 unable to write to database. Please contact your system administrator.
89990028 the database is not active
89990030 invalid path
298
89990031 invalid name
89990032 invalid handle
89990033 invalid destination
89990034 invalid property
89990035 invalid parameter
89990036 invalid filename
89990037 invalid object
89990038 invalid hostname
89990039 invalid macro string or tool installation file
89990040 object not found
89990041 parent not found
89990042 the template for the object could not be found
89990043 iterator is invalid for this iteration-capable command
89990050 property not found
89990051 property not set
89990052 cannot set property
89990053 cannot modify the property
89990054 the property is read-only
89990055 the object's style sheet was not found
89990057 the streamed property name is too long
89990060 folder not empty
89990061 object is not a folder
89990062 an item with that name already exists
89990068 dependency usage too long
89990069 The operation failed because non-versionable objects cannot live in
versionable folders
89990070 cannot delete the root object
89990071 tree is not mounted into file system
299
89990072 root object has no parent
89990073 invalid operation for root object
89990080 cannot open file
89990081 cannot write to file
89990082 cannot read from file
89990083 the file does not exist
89990084 file system operation failed
89990085 access to file denied
89990086 sharing violation
89990087 corrupt file
89990090 cannot set mount point
89990091 object not mounted into file system
89990092 cannot create directory
89990093 cannot move directory or file
89990094 cannot copy file
89990095 cannot delete directory or file
89990096 cannot create a link to a link
89990097 folder does not exist
8999009b cannot move the item to another branch. Due to the branch settings, the
source and destination locations are in different branches.
8999009c cannot create a share to a file in another branch. Due to the branch settings,
the share and share target locations are in different branches.
8999009d The original parent is currently in the recycle bin
8999009e The original parent does not exist anymore
89990100 database not found
89990101 database with that name already exists
89990102 default database location not set
89990110 workspace not initialized
300
89990111 workspace already initialized
89990120 already connected to a server
89990121 not connected to a server
89990122 cannot connect to server
89990123 cannot disconnect from server
89990124 The database share on the server is not accessible. Please contact your
administrator.
89990130 client connection was refused
89990131 invalid user name or password
89990132 client is not logged on
89990140 cannot lock folders, only files
89990141 cannot lock system items
89990142 the object could not be checked out
89990143 not authorized for this operation
89990144 the item is already checked out
89990145 the item is not checked out
89990146 the item is checked out by someone else
89990147 the object could not be checked in
89990148 the working path for the item is not set
89990149 error during reversal of transaction, file still pending, you must recover
manually
8999014a the item is already checked out to you
8999014b the item is checked out exclusively by someone else
8999014c multiple check out is not possible for this item
8999014d Another check-in operation was performed before yours. Try the merge
again against the correct version.
8999014e The item or one of its children is checked out
89990160 the server evaluation period expired
89990161 limited server license
301
89990162 the dongle is not available on the server
89990163 the registration key is invalid
89990164 the server and client versions are not compatible
89990165 the server could not be instantiated (is the server installed on this
machine?)
89990166 the server is locked by the Administrator
89990167 the server is low on virtual memory
89990168 the server is low on disk space
89990169 the server is out of disk space
89990170 the specified search expression is invalid
89990171 the database is locked by the Administrator
89990172 a temporary key cannot be installed if a permanent key is already active
89990173 the server with the CCS is locked by the Administrator
89990174 The server is temporarily locked because of a shutdown
89990175 cannot init indexed search
89990177 The hardware id is invalid
89990178 The license key contained one or more expired licenses. These licenses are
ignored.
89990179 A backup is already in progress.
89990183 The last partial or full backup time is not available. This message is
displayed when an incremental or differential backup was attempted, but
could not run because there is no previously created full backup or
incremental/differential backup (in case of an incremental backup).
89990192 The object or one of its sub-objects is locked. It is not possible to make
changes to this object.
89990195 the database was created with a newer version and cannot be opened with
this server
89990196 The transaction commit failed because a merge is needed
8999019c a file or folder has a pending change
8999019f setting a property failed because the condition for setting did not match
302
899901a1 Object is reserved and cannot be deleted.
899901a4 An item in a folder was removed while the folder was being enumerated
899901a6 object cannot be deleted because it is referencing online media
89990200 object not initialized
89990201 object not found
89990202 object already exists
89990220 CopyFile command failed
89990221 file already exists
89990222 file does not exist
89990224 cookie file does not exist
89990225 can not create cookie file
89990226 can not read cookie file
89990227 cookie file is corrupt
89990228 found cookie does not match wanted cookie
89990230 object must support INxNPersistDatabase
89990231 object must support INxNPersistDatabaseObj
89990232 object must support INxNVersionControlProperty
89990233 object must support INxNHandleStore
89990234 object must support INxNHandleStoreObj
89990235 unknown command passed to RunCommand
89990236 requested version was not found
89990237 versions are identical
89990238 not enough free disk space for new version
89990239 can not rollback to latest version
89990240 user is not correctly logged on
89990244 The specified object was already touched in the current transaction
89990250 incorrect cookie
303
89990251 incorrect user name
89990252 incorrect password
89990253 version control database not found
89990260 lookup for vital creation properties failed
89990261 version control is disabled for this object
89990262 Connect to version control server failed
89990280 Copying file from server location to local destination failed
89990290 archive is corrupted
89990291 file is not of correct type
89990292 Disabling version creation for abstract assets is not supported
89990300 the user 'UserManagement' is not allowed
89990301 user rights do not allow this operation
89990302 user/user group exists already
89990303 command exists already
89990304 user does not exist
89990305 user is invalid
89990306 user rights do not allow this operation in system folder
89990307 user rights do not allow this operation in level
89990308 user rights do not allow this operation (no ownership)
89990309 the login was disabled for this database
89990310 database is not a CCS
89990311 The given object is not an action
89990312 The given object is not a role
89990313 The given object is not an action category
89990314 The given action category name already used by another action category
89990315 The given action name already used by another action
89990316 The given action id is already used by another action
304
89990317 Unable to complete the operation because the action exists with another
type
89990318 The given role name already used by another role
89990319 The given role id is already used by another role
89990320 Unable to complete the operation because the role exists with another type
89990321 The operation cannot be performed on a system defined role
89990322 The operation cannot be performed on a system defined action
89990323 The action is not assigned to the role
89990324 The system id's for roles or actions are out - impossible to create new
system actions or roles
89990326 The operation is not permitted on the user administrator
89990327 The initialization of the authorization subsystem failed - read message for
more information
89990340 The initialization of the user management subsystem failed - read message
for more information
89990341 A generic command was called which is not supported for user or group
objects
89990342 Internal requirements for user or groups objects are not fulfilled (for
example, link broken)
89990351 The given user name is already used
89990352 The given user could not be created
89990353 The user can neither be moved nor removed (that is, users cannot be moved
from the Everyone group and the Administrator cannot be moved from the
Administrators group)
89990354 The given user shall be destroyed but was not deleted before
89990355 Not a user
89990356 Your user account has been deleted
89990361 The given group name is already used
89990362 The given group could not be created
89990363 The given group can neither be removed nor moved
89990364 the member creation for the given group failed
305
89990365 the group cannot be destroyed because it contains children
89990366 not a serigraph
8999036 the group must not contain other groups
89990368 the database is from a different CCS and needs a migration
89990369 could not connect to the LDAP server
8999036a The operation failed because the object is protected by a reservation
8999036b CCS Connection failed
8999036c CCS is corrupt (for example, GUID missing)
8999036d The authorization config file is missing
8999036e The CCS does not have the same version as the server of the database
89990370 An LDAP search enum failed
89990371 Structural changes are not allowed on that object
89990372 No Children can be added to this folder or moved out of this folder
89990401 no handler was found
89990450 There is no open session for this client. If you are using an older version of
the client, JXDK or MDK please upgrade to a newer version
89990500 cannot convert variant to given type
89990600 HTTP request error
89990601 continue
89990602 switching protocols
89990603 OK
89990604 created
89990605 accepted
89990606 non-authoritative information
89990607 no content
89990608 reset content
89990609 partial content
89990610 multiple choices
306
89990611 permanently moved
89990612 moved temporarily
89990613 see other
89990614 not modified
89990615 use proxy
89990620 bad request
89990621 unauthorized
89990622 payment required
89990623 forbidden
89990624 not found
89990625 method not allowed
89990626 not acceptable
89990627 proxy authentication required
89990628 request timeout
89990629 conflict
8999062a gone
8999062b length required
8999062c precondition failed
8999062d request entity too large
8999062e request URI too long
8999062f unsupported media type
89990630 internal server error
89990631 not implemented
89990632 bad gateway
89990633 service unavailable
89990634 gateway timeout
89990635 HTTP version not supported
307
89990700 database journal error
89990701 database journal initialization failed
89990702 database journal recovery failed
89990703 invalid entry in database journal found
89990704 failed to apply database journal transaction
89990705 failed to apply database journal operation
89990706 error opening database journal
89990707 error reading from database journal
89990708 error writing to database journal
89990709 database journal file error
89990800 SQL error
89990801 SQL error, more info available
89990802 invalid SQL configuration
89990900 the sender of the message does not exist
89990901 the recipient of the message does not exist
89990902 The sender must be a user. It cannot be a user group
89990903 The attachment of the message is invalid
89990904 A block size was 0 or negative
89990905 A message handle was invalid
89990906 the viewing counter of a mailbox is inconsistent with the viewing status of
the messages
89990907 the outbox of a user could not be created
89990908 the inbox of a user could not be created
89990a00 Could not open an image because the file could not be found or the caller is
not allowed to open the file.
89990a01 Could not read an image. The file could be opened but not be read.
89990a02 Could not create an image file. Maybe the destination folder does not exist
or the caller is not allowed to write to that location.
308
89990a03 Could not write an image file. The file was created but writing to the file
failed. This could for example happen if disk has insufficient disk space.
89990a04 The image could not be read because it does not have a known format.
89990a05 The image could not be read because the bitmap in it is invalid.
89990a06 An unknown error occurred in the image lib.
89990a07 An image could not be loaded or saved because the license for the LZW
algorithm is not available.
89990a08 The image could not be read or stored because the file or image has an
invalid format.
89990b00 The LDAP server detected an internal error, LDAP error:
LDAP_OPERATIONS_ERROR(0x1)
89990b01 The LDAP server received an invalid request from the server, LDAP error:
LDAP_PROTOCOL_ERROR(0x2)
89990b02 A specified time limit was exceeded in a request to the LDAP server,
LDAP error: LDAP_TIMELIMIT_EXCEEDED(0x3)
89990b03 A specified size limit was exceeded in a request to the LDAP server, LDAP
error: LDAP_SIZELIMIT_EXCEEDED(0x4)
89990b04 The LDAP server does not support the authentication method specified by
the server, LDAP error:
LDAP_AUTH_METHOD_NOT_SUPPORTED(0x7)
89990b05 The request sent to the LDAP server required strong authentication and
therefore failed, LDAP error: LDAP_STRONG_AUTH_REQUIRED(0x8)
89990b06 A limit set by the LDAP administrator was exceeded in a request to the
LDAP server, LDAP error: LDAP_ADMINLIMIT_EXCEEDED(0xB)
89990b07 The LDAP server was unable to satisfy a request because one or more
critical extensions were not available, LDAP error:
LDAP_UNAVAILABLE_CRITICAL_EXTENSION(0xC)
89990b08 The request sent to the LDAP server required confidentiality by the
transport protocol and therefore failed, LDAP error:
LDAP_CONFIDENTIALITY_REQUIRED(0xD)
89990b09 A search request sent to the LDAP server is not compatible with the
attribute syntax specified by the LDAP database, LDAP error:
LDAP_INAPPROPRIATE_MATCHING(0x12)
89990b0a An LDAP object specified in a request could be found by the LDAP server,
LDAP error: LDAP_NO_SUCH_OBJECT(0x20)
309
89990b0b The LDAP server detected an error when trying to dereference an alias,
LDAP error: LDAP_ALIAS_PROBLEM(0x21)
89990b0c The syntax of a DN sent to the LDAP server is incorrect, LDAP v:
LDAP_INVALID_DN_SYNTAX(0x22)
89990b0d The LDAP server cannot perform the operation on a leaf entry, LDAP
error: LDAP_IS_LEAF(0x23)
89990b0e A search request sent to the LDAP server could not dereference an alias
because of missing access rights, LDAP error:
LDAP_ALIAS_DEREF_PROBLEM(0x24)
89990b0f An incorrect authentication method was used when sending a request to the
LDAP server, LDAP v: LDAP_INAPPROPRIATE_AUTH(0x30)
89990b10 The credentials sent to the LDAP server are invalid, LDAP error:
LDAP_INVALID_CREDENTIALS(0x31)
89990b11 The request sent to the LDAP server was not completed because of missing
access rights, LDAP error: LDAP_INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS(0x32)
89990b12 The LDAP server is too busy at the moment to fulfill the request, LDAP v:
LDAP_BUSY(0x33)
89990b13 The LDAP server is currently unavailable, LDAP v:
LDAP_UNAVAILABLE(0x34)
89990b14 The LDAP server cannot process the request due to server-defined
restrictions, LDAP error: LDAP_UNWILLING_TO_PERFORM(0x35)
89990b15 A loop was detected in an LDAP alias or referral, LDAP error:
LDAP_LOOP_DETECT(0x36)
89990b18 The LDAP server could not complete the request because it violates the
naming convention, LDAP error: LDAP_NAMING_VIOLATION(0x40)
89990b19 The LDAP server could not complete the request because it violates the
rules set for the object class, LDAP error:
LDAP_OBJECT_CLASS_VIOLATION(0x41)
89990b1a The LDAP server cannot perform the operation on a non-leaf entry, LDAP
error: LDAP_NOT_ALLOWED_ON_NONLEAF(0x42)
89990b1b The LDAP server cannot perform the operation because it attempts to
change attributes that are necessary for the relative DN of the entry, LDAP
error: LDAP_NOT_ALLOWED_ON_RDN(0x43)
89990b1c The LDAP server cannot perform the operation because the entry already
exists, LDAP error: LDAP_ALREADY_EXISTS(0x44)
310
89990b1d The LDAP server cannot perform the operation because it would change
the structure rules of the object class, LDAP error:
LDAP_NO_OBJECT_CLASS_MODS(0x45)
89990b1e The results of a request to the LDAP server are too large to return them,
LDAP error: LDAP_RESULTS_TOO_LARGE(0x46)
89990b1f The LDAP operation needs to be performed by multiple LDAP servers,
where this operation is not permitted, LDAP error:
LDAP_AFFECTS_MULTIPLE_DSAS(0x47)
89990b20 The LDAP server cannot perform the operation because of a virtual list
view error, LDAP error: LDAP_VIRTUAL_LIST_VIEW_ERROR(0x4C)
89990b21 The LDAP server encountered an unknown error, LDAP error:
LDAP_OTHER(0x50)
89990b22 The LDAP server could not be contacted, LDAP error:
LDAP_SERVER_DOWN(0x51)
89990b23 The LDAP client detected an error, LDAP error:
LDAP_LOCAL_ERROR(0x52)
89990b24 The LDAP protocol detected an encoding error, LDAP error:
LDAP_ENCODING_ERROR(0x53)
89990b25 The LDAP protocol detected an decoding error, LDAP error:
LDAP_DECODING_ERROR(0x54)
89990b26 An LDAP search was aborted because of a timeout, LDAP error:
LDAP_TIMEOUT(0x55)
89990b27 The LDAP server encountered an unknown authentication error, LDAP
error: LDAP_AUTH_UNKNOWN(0x56)
89990b28 An LDAP search filter has an invalid format, LDAP error:
LDAP_FILTER_ERROR(0x57)
89990b29 An LDAP operation was cancelled by the user, LDAP error:
LDAP_USER_CANCELLED(0x58)
89990b2a An LDAP operation failed because an invalid parameter was specified,
LDAP error: LDAP_PARAM_ERROR(0x59)
89990b2b n LDAP operation failed because the system is out of memory, LDAP
error: LDAP_NO_MEMORY(0x5a)
89990b2c The LDAP connection could not be created, LDAP error:
LDAP_CONNECT_ERROR(0x5b)
311
89990b2d An LDAP operation failed because it is not supported by the LDAP server,
LDAP error: LDAP_NOT_SUPPORTED(0x5c)
89990b2e The LDAP server refused to return results, LDAP error:
LDAP_NO_RESULTS_RETURNED(0x5e)
89990b2f An LDAP operation failed because a required control was not found,
LDAP error: LDAP_CONTROL_NOT_FOUND(0x5d)
89990b31 A loop was detected in an LDAP alias or referral, LDAP error:
LDAP_CLIENT_LOOP(0x60)
89990b32 An LDAP operation failed because a referral required too many referral
hops, LDAP error: LDAP_REFERRAL_LIMIT_EXCEEDED(0x61)
89990b50 The operation failed because the user authentication provider is not enabled
89990b51 The authentication failed because empty passwords are not allowed
89990b52 The CCS was unable to retrieve the users from a user authentication
provider
89990b53 The specified user authentication provider was not found
89990b54 The required setting for the LDAP server is not set
89990b55 The required setting for the LDAP user object class is not set
89990b56 The required setting for the LDAP user name attribute is not set
89990b57 The specified search root DN was not found
89990b70 The Unity API could not be found
FConsistency Check Codes
The following tables explain the codes reported when you run a Consistency Check:
•Consistency Check Critical Errors
•Consistency Check Errors
•Consistency Check Warnings
cThe Consistency Check is for support purposes. You should perform this check only if
requested by Avid Technical Support.
Consistency Check Critical Errors
cIf any of the following critical errors are reported, do not use your database; contact Avid
immediately using the protocol outlined in the “If You Need Help” topic in the front of this
manual.
Code Meaning
7050 object refers to the wrong parent
7051 object is not exist in name directory
7052 object has an invalid BIH
7053 object has an invalid BDH
7088 pending change table inconsistency
7089 pending change table inconsistency
7099 object doesn't have a parent
7100 internal error in database structure
7101 internal error in database structure
7110 streamed properties structure invalid
7141 repository data corruption
Consistency Check Errors
313
Consistency Check Errors
nIf any of the following errors are reported, some problems were found related to the particular
object. It is still possible to use your database, but you should contact Avid using the protocol
outlined in the “If You Need Help” topic in the front of this manual to resolve the problem.
7142 repository data corruption
7143 repository data corruption
7144 repository data corruption
11064 user management failed to initialize
Code Meaning
7061 Not possible to determine the server master path for the file
7063 file doesn't exist
7064 internal object state is invalid
7065 internal object state is invalid
7066 internal object state is invalid
7067 internal object state is invalid
7068 internal object state is invalid
7069 internal object state is invalid
7070 object history is not accurate
7071 object history is not accurate
7077 internal object state is invalid
7078 internal object state is invalid
7081 internal object state is invalid
7082 internal object state is invalid
7083 internal object state is invalid
7085 internal object state is invalid
Code Meaning
Consistency Check Errors
314
7111 unknown property handle
7112 streamed property flag is not set
7113 unknown streamed property name
7114 invalid streamed property
7153 internal object state is invalid
7171 link is invalid
7172 link is invalid
7173 link is invalid
7174 link is invalid
7175 link is invalid
7176 link is invalid
11058 master user is not valid
11059 master user is not valid
11060 master user does not exist
11061 master user is not valid
11062 master user is not valid
23020 authorization assignment is incorrect
23021 authorization assignment is incorrect
23023 authorization assignment is incorrect
Code Meaning
Consistency Check Warnings
315
Consistency Check Warnings
If any of the following warnings are reported, some problems were found, but no action is
urgently needed.
Code Meaning
7062 file size mismatch
7072 invalid dependency source
7073 invalid dependency source
7074 invalid dependency target
7075 invalid dependency target
7076 incorrect dependency type
7091 pending change problem fixed
23022 invalid entry in the authorization role table. This can happen when there is
an entry in the permission table that does not refer back to an object. For
example, an object was deleted or the creation of a folder was cancelled.
Symbols
_Backup directory
described 27
_Buckets directory
described 27
_Database directory
backing up and restoring 29, 30
described 27
_Master directory
described 27
_PropertyStore directory
backing up and restoring 29, 30
described 27
Numerics
7-Zip
for Interplay backups 39
A
AAF metadata
adding to tape archive 177
Access control
for custom properties 154
Accumulated inherited role
described 129
Activating
database 65
Administrator role
described 129
Administrators group 126
Apache web server
activating creation of access.log 250
folder and files 249
Application Database Settings view 196, 197
options 199
Application key (dongle)
and licenses 94
Archive
metadata override 194
Archive Engine
setting computer name 177
Archive settings
adding AAF metadata 177
allow duplicate media files 174
allow metadata archive 174
archive segment 174
archive server name 174
best effort restore 177
duplicate versions 175
online database 177
segment size 177
server name 177
use best effort 174
Archive Settings view 174
Archiving 174
Attributes
setting for users or groups 128
Authentication
described 110
global 110
setting for individual users 132
Authentication providers
for individual users 132
global 110
Automatic backups
scheduling 35
Automatic reservations 207
Automatic timeout
setting 213
AvDeletes.log 252
Index
Index
317
Avid
online support 12
training services 15
Avid assets
described 17
Avid Instinct
Application Database options 199
Media Composer Cloud options 217
setting Application Database options 196, 197
setting user options 217
user options 220
Avid Interplay
client-server application 20
optimizing performance 228
Avid Interplay Administrator
See Interplay Administrator
Avid Interplay Assist
Application Database options 199
Media Composer Cloud options 217
setting Application Database options 196, 197
setting user options 217
user options 220
Avid Interplay Engine directory
Apache folder 249
Data folder 251
folders and files 248
Logs folder 252
Preview Server folder 255
Server folder 256
Avid Interplay Engine Server process 257
locking or shutting down 234
Avid Media Composer
setting Application Database option 196, 197
Avid Service Framework
Services views 225
Avid Unity
authentication 113
Avid Unity MediaManager
migrating users from 126
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor service 264
Avid Workgroup HTTP Server process 258
Avid Workgroup Preview Server service 259
Avid Workgroup Server Browser service 259
Avid Workgroup TCP/COM Bridge service 262
Avid Workgroup VSS service 263
AvidAM.pro file
described 27
AvidWG.pro file
described 27
AvMetaDataDelete.log 254
AvMoveEx.log 254
B
BackupArchive tool 50
BackupFailed event 270
Backups
described 29, 30
manual, starting 39, 39
metadata-only for support 56
number of backups to keep 31
partial restore 52
performing 35
recommendations for configuring 31
restoring 41
scheduling 35
scheduling automatic backups 35
using archiving tool 39
Best effort restore
setting 177
C
Categories
adding 163
configuring 163
removing 165
Central Configuration Server (CCS)
adding users 110
caution when moving 105
described 19
moving to another server 107
overview 105
selecting a different server 108
Clean Up Invalid Dependencies tool 79
Client access
configuration 275
Client connections
troubleshooting 228
Clients
disconnecting all 93
list of connected 88
ClusterResourceFailure event 270
Index
318
Complete backup
described 29, 30
Config.xml 266
supported actions 268
supported events 270
Configuration files
Interplay Engine 266
Configuring
automatic backup 31
categories 163
client access 275
Interplay Engine files 266
project token attributes 275
remote workgroups 160
Consistency Check
critical errors 312
error codes 312
errors 313
performing 58
warnings 315
Create Database view 26
Custom Meta Data tab
using 151
Custom properties
adding 151
creating 150
custom lists for 156
extended search 159
removing a list 159
setting access control 154
XML files for 156
D
Data folder 251
Database
activating 65
backing up 29
blocking access to 140
changing root folders 87
creating 26
deactivating 64
described 16
directories and files 27
locking 62
migrating 67
moving (clustered) 73
moving (non-clustered) 69
moving database and users (clustered) 75
moving database and users (non-clustered) 71
moving when disk space low 77
renaming 78
restoring 29
restoring example 48
unlocking 62
viewing information about 58
Database asset
deletion 181
Database Information View 58
Database repair tools 79
DCOMConfig Settings 257
Deactivating
database 64
Delete Kept Media tool 192
Delete Lost File Mobs tool 79
Deleting
options for deleting locked media 191
options for deleting OMF or MXF 191
overview 181
scheduling 188
users and user groups 133
Dictionaries
for custom properties 156
Differential backup
described 30
DiskLimit event 270
Dongle
and licenses 94
DRM (restrictions) 285
Duration attribute 285
Dynamic relink
Editor Database option 199
E
Editor Database option 217
E-mail notifications
errors and severity level 274
Engine Monitor Service 264
Error codes
Consistency Check 312
server 297
Event Manager settings 266
Everyone group 126
Index
319
Exclusive Access
for maintenance tools 79
setting and releasing 89
Exiting
Interplay Administrator 25
Exporting
license 103
Extended search
custom properties 159
F
Failed to Delete folder 181
Fast backup
described 30
File assets
described 17
Filetransfer server 279
Firewalls
troubleshooting 229
Folderlocations.xml
described 27
Folders
assigning roles to 134
blocking access to 140
setting ownership 178
Frame Locators tab
configuring display 214
Full backup
described 29, 30
G
General role assignments
setting 137
viewing 134
Global authentication 110
H
Handover directories
described 27
Hardware ID 94
Help
opening 24
I
Imported Users group 126
Importing
LDAP users 116
license 95
users 110
Windows domain users 114
Incremental backup
described 30
Inherited rights 129
IN-OUT attribute 286
Instinct/Assist User Settings view 217
options 220
Interplay Access
default folders in 26
defining property layouts for 145
enabling login from Windows domain 114
Interplay Administrator
described 20
exiting 25
Help 24
opening a view 24
starting 21
Interplay Administrator views
opening 24
Interplay Administrator window
using 22
Interplay Archive Engine
described 18
Interplay database
described 16
See also Database
Interplay Engine
Avid Interplay Engine Server process 257
Avid Workgroup Engine Monitor service 264
Avid Workgroup HTTP Server process 258
Avid Workgroup Preview Server service 259
Avid Workgroup Server Browser service 259
Avid Workgroup TCP/COM Bridge service 262
Avid Workgroup VSS service 263
configuration files 266
described 16
folders and files 248
optimizing performance 228
ports used 256
servers and services 256
Index
320
Interplay Media Services Engine
registering 166
Interplay Media Services view 171
Interplay Portal
viewing 13
Interplay Transfer
configuring for remote workgroups 160
Interplay Transfer Settings view 172
Interplay Transfer Status view 172
Interplay Window
automatic reservation 207
Interplay workgroup
described 16
multiple workgroups 18
InterplayRestore tool
described 41
example 48
J
Journal files
described 27
K
Kept Media folder 181
L
LDAP authentication 116
LDAP server settings 118
LicenseKeyInfo.exe 104
Licenses
displaying and printing 104
exporting 103
importing 95
managing 94
permanent 95
troubleshooting 103
types 98
Licenses view 97
Lock Server view 89
Lock/Unlock Database view 62
Locked clips
deleting 191
Locking
database 62
server process 234
Log files
deletion 181
LogEvent event 270
Logging in
troubleshooting 227
Logging out
Interplay Administrator 25
Logs folder 252
Logwatch.xml 273
M
Maintenance
database repair tools 79
Manage Database Roles view 134
Managing Databases view 64
Manual backup
starting 39, 39
Media Composer
setting Application Database option 196, 197
Media Composer Cloud
settings in Interplay Administrator 217
Media Composer Cloud Settings view
options 217
Media Indexer
registering in Interplay Administrator 166
MediaManager
migrating users from 126
Metadata
system, list 281
Metadata override
for archive 194
Migrated Users group 126
Migrating
database 67
Moving
database (clustered) 73
database (non-clustered) 69
database and users (clustered) 75
database and users (non-clustered) 71
database when disk space low 77
MXF files
option for deleting 191
Index
321
N
No Access role
described 129
NxNServerLock.exe
locking server process 234
moving database with 77
NxNServerShutdown.exe
moving database with 77
shutting down server process 234
NxNServerUnlock.exe
moving database with 77
NXNServerUser.exe
recreating Server Execution User 233
O
Object Inspector
configuring Frame Locators 214
configuring Restrictions 215
OMF files
option for deleting 191
Online support 12
Orphan Clips folder
changes for v2.4 181
types of links 188
Ownership Behavior view 178
P
Passwords
viewing and setting 128
PEBCO 195
Perform Consistency Check view 58
Performance
optimizing Interplay 228
Permanent license 95
Permissions
setting 129
See also Roles
Presets
workgroup transfer 173
Preview Server folder 255
pro file
described 27
Pro Tools
plug-ins for Interplay 224
Production Engine Bus Connector 195
Property Layout view 145
R
Read role
described 129
Read/Write role
described 129
Read/Write/Delete role
described 129
Recover Lost Master Mobs tool 79
Referenced assets
option to delete 192
Remote workgroups
configuring for search or transfer 160
Remove Duplicated Locators tool 79
Renaming
database 78
Reservations
automatic 207
Resolutions
setting available in clients 148
Restart Server view 93
Restarting
server 93
Restoring
backup version 41
partial restore 52
Restrictions
DRM property 285
Restrictions tab
configuring display 215
Reuniting
split database 235
Rights
setting 129
See also Roles
Robocopy
for Interplay backups 39
Role assignments
general 134
Roles
assigning to folders 134
described 129
viewing and changing 130
Root folders
Index
322
setting 87
S
Schedule Backups view 35
Scheduled deletion 188
Searches
custom properties 159
Searching
remote workgroups 160
Send mail action 268
Server
error codes 297
information about 88
locking 89
restarting 93
shutting down 89
unlocking 89
Server Event configuration
example 272
Server Event Manager
configuring 266
Server Execution User
creating 230
described 20
recreating 233
troubleshooting 230
Server folder 256
Server Hostname Settings view 166
Server Information view 88
Server Settings view 87
ServerXML.xml 275
Service Configuration view (Avid Service Framework)
225
Shotlist
changing default start timecode 212
Shutting down
server process 234
Split database
configuring workgroup.xml file 246
reuniting 235
reuniting AvidWG and _InternalData 241
reuniting AvidWG only 238
Start timecode
changing default for shotlist 212
Storage
configuring third-party 104
Streamed properties
described 27
Synced Projects
enabling 180
System metadata
list 281
T
Taxonomies
for custom properties 156
TCP/COM Bridge service 262
TCP/IP
ports required 256
Third-party storage
configuring 104
Timecode
changing default start for shotlist 212
Timeout
setting automatic 213
Tracks attribute 295
Training services 15
Transferring
to remote workgroup 160
Transfers
configuring transfer engines 172
monitoring status 172
preset view 173
Troubleshooting 12
client connection problems 228
firewalls 229
licenses 103
login-in problems 227
optimizing Interplay performance 228
server process 234
U
Unlocking
database 62
User Authentication Providers view 110
User groups
adding 126
default 126
deleting 133
removing users from 134
roles 129
Index
323
setting attributes for 128
setting passwords for 128
User management
guidelines 143
User Management view 124
Users
adding from Avid Unity 113
adding manually 127
adding to a CCS 110
default 126
deleting 133
disconnecting all 93
importing 110
importing from LDAP 116
importing from Windows domain 114
list of connected 88
management guidelines 143
managing 124
removing from group 134
roles 129
setting attributes for 128
setting passwords for 128
V
Validate User Tree tool 79
Verify Link Consistency tool 79
VITC (Vertical Interval Timecode)
in a bin 296
VSS service 263
W
WG_Database$
identifying root folder for 85
Windows Domain authentication 114
Workgroup name
setting 166
Workgroup Properties view (Avid Service Framework)
225
Workgroup Transfer Presets view 173
workgroup.xml file
configuring for file transfer server 279
configuring for split database 246
Workgroups
described 16
multiple workgroups 18
remote 160
X
XML files
for custom properties 156
Avid
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Burlington, MA 01803-2756 USA
Technical Support (USA)
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