I want to build a new DataMiner SRM service definition which will include encoders from multiple vendors. Some of them support HD only, some also support UHD, some support different input and output formats, one has an SDI and 2022-6 input, the other one has an SDI input only.
Can I put them all together in a single group of resources to have a single encoder building block I can drag into the DataMiner service manager to create a new service definition?
When I run a service DataMiner should automatically pick an encoder that “fits best”.
Hi Thomas,
When working with DataMiner SRM, you define the components used in a service, by adding different functions to the canvas of your service definition and linking them together.
In the case of your example, where you would like to support different encoders in the same service definition you can use a generic encoder function.
This generic encoder is a system function that can be used in your service definition.
You’ll also have an encoder function for every encoder from every vendor.
These vendor-specific functions can be linked to the generic encoder function you use in the service definition.
This will allow you to select any encoder from any vendor when booking your service.
When adding the different encoder resources to the DataMiner system, you can define resource capacities and capabilities.
The capabilities can be used for example to indicate which encoders support only HD and which ones support HD and UHD.
When creating a booking, DataMiner will check which resources are available with the required capabilities (and capacities).
The user will then only be able to choose one of the appropriate resources.
Yes you can. You create an encoding function for each of the vendors (per protocol). On top of that you create an extra parent function not linked to any protocol. In each of the functions, you can point to a parent. So eventually the functions will come all under the same ‘encoding’ parent. It looks like this in the ‘Services’ app:
A user can just drag this parent function in the service definition without choosing a vendor. When creating such a resource, you have to add specific capabilities to them, again regardless whether it’s from vendor A or B. Vendor A maybe doesn’t support UHD, while resources from vendor B does.
When it comes to configuring the devices at the start of the booking each function has a profile definition linked to it that contains multiple links to automation scripts. Because for vendor A different actions are required to load a profile onto a device then for vendor B.
Yes this still works when you have different interfaces. In DataMiner all three functions (from vendor A, from vendor B and the parent function) need to have the exact same interfaces. So the function from vendor A (that maybe only has an SDI input interface in reallity) will need 2 interfaces (ASI + SDI) in DataMiner. With resource capabilities you can specify if a the resource supports ASI and/or SDI input.
Thanks! Does this still work when the number of inputs / outputs do not match or when the number of inputs / outputs matches but the format is different (e.g. ASI on encoder A, SDI on encoder B)