Content distribution networks
Apr 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Tom Ohanian
Consider these 10 things when moving files
- Authentication of users
The presence of a certificate authority and proper implementation is a means of exchanging public/private key strings to ensure that senders and receivers are bona fide members of the intended distribution network.
- Access control — specific directories, firewall ports
Transmission control protocol (TCP) is the connection-oriented protocol built on top of Internet Protocol (IP). Each TCP stream is identified by a source and destination IP address/port pair. Firewalls filter IP traffic using port information, among other things. The firewall must interpret the FTP protocol, determine which TCP ports are being used and dynamically alter the firewall rules.
Many organizations employ FTP servers in order to facilitate business-to-business transactions. There are certainly a number of issues with this — among them, the inability to resume from where a file transfer was interrupted as well as the issues related to scaling the operation to large numbers of users. Low-end firewalls and filtering routers are not designed to implement adequate controls on FTP traffic. With respect to the protocol methodology in highly latent networks, round-trip delays are often introduced, causing transfer times to increase.
- Automation of basic tasks, batch processing
Once files are being moved as efficiently as possible, it is necessary to interface and interoperate with other applications that represent the desired workflow. Files often have to be modified in some way during the creative process. Changes may involve both the essence and the metadata. File types often have to be changed, file names often have to be normalized,and individuals and groups need to be notified that new content has arrived and is available.
- Centralized management vs. federated transfer model
There is a fundamental difference between the two, and the choice of whether to use one or the other must be addressed prior to deciding what file transfer protocols should be implemented. In a centrally-managed model, the precise amount of bandwidth for any file transfer can be set and deterministically adjusted on the fly without affecting other transfers — forming a business-based policy prioritization. In addition, centrally managed transfers are much easier to control, secure and audit for access logs and download patterns.
- Auditing access logs and download patterns
It may seem simple, but the ability to audit user access, control different levels of access and analyze download patterns may not always be available. However, these features are strongly suggested because they create a controlled environment that can be monitored and tracked clearly.
- Cross-platform support
There also exists a requirement to support multiple platforms and operating systems. For example, it is common to run a content creation application on Macintosh OS X, submit that content to a compositing application running on Linux, and then submit the final content to a transcoding application running on a Windows platform. These multiple platforms require that the distribution system software support multiple operating systems and platforms.
- End-to-end security
By implementing a secure system from source to target and creating a secure network, the actual payload of the data being sent is secured in-transit. Additionally, media encryption can be introduced to encrypt the actual data bits. Through the use of a certificate authority, all data movement can be tracked as data is moved, and a “certified delivery” receipt can be generated and used for electronic affidavits of all content movement.
Conclusion
To address the needs of the media and entertainment industry, a comprehensive study of all ingest, manipulation and distribution requirements of an organization must first be undertaken. The above 10 points can be boiled down to four pillars: automate, secure, manage and accelerate. By following and addressing all the items in this checklist, files can be moved securely and more efficiently, reducing costs associated with moving digital media. This increases control over the movement of files and enhances collaborative creation of content.
Tom Ohanian is chief strategy officer for Signiant.
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