Grass Valley iTX System v.2.6 - Manual (Page 303)

System resilience
• Have a standby Output Server, ready to replace any main Output Server that fails. The
standby machine runs the playout services but with no schedule loaded while all main
Output Servers are working. If an Output Server fails, the standby machine loads and
plays the schedule that the failed machine was playing (starting at a point within a clip,
if necessary).
Such a set-up is often called an N + 1 system; for any number of main Output Servers
there is just one standby Output Server.
In an N+N system, iTX can operate a matrix router to connect the back-up Output Server
instead of the main Output Server to the transmission system.
In an N+1 system, you manually fail over to the standby server and TX Play will automatically
load a schedule in the standby Output Server; you then operate a router to switch the standby
Output Server instead of the main Output Server to the transmission system. You may do this
either from within the iTX system or outside of it.
Configuring an N+1 Server
Because the ‘standby’ server may be used to take over from any of the main output channels in
the event of an on air failure, when installing the Output Server services, a generic
configuration and channel name is used, such as ‘standby 1’ and then the channel configuration
required can be loaded at the time it is required to take over.
This can be done in one of two ways – either directly from the Output Server itself by running
the ITXChannelConfig.exe program and manually entering the details (Start > All Programs > iTX
2.0 > TX Play Config) or remotely using a Windows Batch file executable script that copies the
required channel config from an XML file into the actual TX Play Config file and then runs the
Output Server software for you.
This operation can be carried out via a special iTX Desktop Layout called ‘Back Up Channel
Assignment’. The operator than waits for the service indicator lights to go green on the Output
Server status display component and then manually switches the standby server into the
2transmission circuit.
To fail over to a back-up server using this procedure:
1. Click ‘Run Fail-over’ on the right hand side. This runs a preconfigured locally stored
batch file that contains details of all your iTX channels and the network connection
credentials of the standby server. You then follow the on screen instructions from a
windows command prompt box.
2. The batch file scans a local folder that contains copies of all your iTX channel
configuration files in XML format. The command prompt will then list all of the
channels it has found configuration files for and prompt you to enter the name of the
channel you wish to fail over. Type the name of the channel and hit ‘return’.
March 2015 System Administrator Guide Page 303 of 404