AWS Elemental MediaConnect Router

Thomas Gunkel

The new AWS Elemental MediaConnect Router enables broadcasters and content providers to dynamically route live video streams between sources and destinations entirely within the AWS network. This capability fundamentally changes how complex live video workflows are built and operated in the cloud, removing static point‑to‑point constraints and eliminating the need to reconfigure infrastructure as routing requirements evolve.

In this use case, you will see how DataMiner integrates with the latest AWS Elemental MediaConnect Router APIs to deliver an intuitive, operations-ready control layer on top of this new cloud-native routing capability to manage IP streams (e.g., SRT, RTP, RIST). The result is a local application that brings familiar broadcast workflows into the cloud while unlocking new levels of flexibility and visibility.

The solution provides:

• An SDI-like XY router panel for fast, ad hoc signal switching.
• Scheduled routing operations to support predictable workflows and automation.
• A geographic map view for service-aware monitoring across regions and endpoints.

USE CASE DETAILS

The XY routing panel presents all available inputs and outputs, with live thumbnails per input. Operators can establish connections instantly using a simple “Take” action. The application also supports MediaConnect Flows, enabling straightforward distribution of signals to multiple downstream endpoints.

Connections can also be scheduled ahead of time, allowing operators to prepare routing changes for upcoming events with minimal effort. Operators simply select the desired input and output and define a start and stop time, and the routing job is created.

Behind the scenes, DataMiner reserves the required resources and creates a scheduled routing job using the DataMiner MediaOps Framework. When the scheduled time is reached, the connection automatically becomes active and appears on the router panel as part of the live routing topology.

To prevent accidental interference, the destination is automatically locked while the scheduled connection is active, ensuring that ad hoc operator actions cannot overwrite planned routing changes. If required, operators can manually unlock the destination and take back control at any time.

Based on DataMiner.MediaOps, this solution can be extended to dynamically create, update, and tear down MediaConnect inputs and outputs, enabling fully automated, event-driven workflows without any pre-provisioning of endpoints.

Effective monitoring is critical for live cloud workflows. Based on location tags, DataMiner maps active connections on a geographic view and displays key metrics such as bitrate, round trip time, and recovered packets. This provides operators with instant visibility into connection health and service performance across regions.

Curious how this application was built? The solution is based on MediaOps Plan and MediaOps Live, which together form the foundation of Skyline’s MediaOps framework. MediaOps includes a set of out-of-the-box low-code applications, one of which is the Control Surface app.

For this use case, the Control Surface app was used as a starting point and extended to match the operational needs of MediaConnect Router workflows. The button layouts and styling were adapted, custom functionality such as live thumbnails and a geographic map view was added, and the latest MediaConnect APIs were integrated. Thanks to the composable and low-code nature of DataMiner, this demonstrator was built and fully operational within just a couple of days.