Welcome to Workflows

Workflows are a wonderful new tool to help you manage data with automatic rules set within Cablecast for your playback assets.

Workflow Types:

• Archive - Moves files to external storage, such as a NAS.
• Backup - Creates a copy of files on a secondary File Store, such as a NAS.
• Delete - Set files to delete from the primary File Store after a set amount of time.
• Mirror - Exact copies of files, specifically for Shadowing systems.
• Restore - Pulls files from a backup/archive location back to the video server to be played again when an associated Show Record is scheduled.

Unless stated, each workflow rule runs every 10 minutes. All Workflows require a Saved Search. The Saved Search will tell Cablecast the parameters of the programs you wish to setup a Workflow for.

Archive

Runs every 1-5 minutes

Moves assets from Active Playback File Store(s) to a Backup/Archive Store
using Saved Searches.

• Shows set for Archive cannot be scheduled in the future. If they are, they will remain on the active Playback File Store until they are no longer in the schedule for a designated number of days.
• Users can specify how long to wait after the last airing of programs before Archiving.
• When the rules of the Workflow and Saved Search are met, the system will then schedule the original location file for deletion after an Archive file has been moved to the Archive File Store.
  • This helps clear up space on the original File Store.

If you have a lot of programs that you don’t want to archive, you can control what gets archived by using a custom field.

For example, maybe you import many Shows from outside producers, but you don’t need to keep the media files for all of them long-term.

In that case, you can create a custom field (under Settings > Location Settings > Shows > Custom Fields) called Archive and make it a List type field with values like:

• Archive
• Do Not Archive

Then, select the appropriate option for each Show within the Show Records page. If you're a longtime Cablecast user, you can bulk update Show Records to apply the appropriate option to existing Show Records.

Finally, create a Saved Search that filters for programs that uses the new Archive custom field. Use that Saved Search as the source for your Archiving Workflow—so only the programs marked “Archive” get archived, and everything else is ignored.

Backup

• Makes a copy of the file to send to a user-defined location.
• Does not delete the original location file.

Delete

• Shows set for deletion cannot be scheduled in the future. If they are, they will remain on the active Playback File Store until they are no longer in the schedule for a designated number of days.
• Active deletion of files is scheduled for seven (7) days in the future from the user's set time to start the Workflow.
  • This acts as a safety net for keeping the file.
  • If the file is scheduled it will negate the rule and prevent deletion of the file.

Mirror

Perfect for systems with a Shadow server configuration. The Mirror Workflow makes an exact duplicate of files across File Stores.

• Duplicates files across two servers
• Keeps 2 stores in sync

Restore - Enabled or Disabled

Automatically restores playback files to the video server if the associated Show Record is scheduled again and the video file is present on a backup/archive File Store.

The Restore Workflow pairs great with an Archive Workflow.

Auto Delete - saved search based on user's settings

Use Allowed Air Dates. Best option.
Use custom field to allow Saved Search to be able to pull from
If the file is in the schedule, Cablecast will not delete the file.

Using Workflows

Using Workflows can be a simple task such as setting a Saved Search to create backups of programs, or to archive programs when they have hit their run dates allowing for space to be freed up on your playback server(s).

The Video Example walks us through how a previously run Archive Workflow and Restore Workflow work together when scheduling a program that has been removed from the Active Store.

Video Example: Workflows with Archive and Restore
TRT: 3min 15sec.
Walk through of Workflows and how they can interact with each other in Cablecast 7.5

Video Example outline:
An Archive Workflow, set with a Saved Search looking for City Council meetings that have not been scheduled to play for 1 day will look at the schedule and verify that programs pulled within the Saved Search match the parameters of the Archive Workflow.

When the parameters have been met, then the Archive Workflow will start a countdown within Cablecast to allow a pad of time after the initial Workflow parameters. If a City Council meeting set for Archive is scheduled between this time, then the file will be reset in the Workflow and will not be Archived as it will be seen as an Active file. If the City Council meeting is not scheduled once the Workflow parameters have been met and have not been interrupted in the padding time, then the Workflow will follow its settings and move the program file to the storage location and delete from the Active Store.

A Restore Workflow, can work with your Archive Workflow.
The Restore Workflow will run in the background seeking for if programs are in the Active Store. If a program has been Archived then Cablecast will see that the program is not in the Active Store and proceed to copy the file from the Archive Store to the Active Store. Allowing the program to be played where it has been set in the schedule.

Systems running shadow systems, where a primary and secondary server are in use. Allowing for if the primary server were ever to go down, the secondary server is running a mirror version of the schedule.

Mirror workflows make sure that an exact copy of the files are set across both servers. The file is loaded to the Primary server, and the Mirror Workflow will make an exact copy to the File Store for the secondary server. Relieving the user from having to load a program to both servers manually.

Creating a Workflow

Workflows are found under the Tools Menu.

Creating a new Workflow, click the Blue New Workflow button at the top.

This opens your Editing Workflow panel. Here you can name the Workflow, and select the Type of Workflow. The settings that show up underneath the Type will depend upon the type of workflow. Each Workflow type has different settings.

Example setup

In our example we will be creating an Archive Workflow.

Name We've named the Workflow in a manner that we know what it is by looking at the name
Type is an Archive Playback Assets, this will create a copy of the original file to the File Store we choose, then will delete the original file from the Active playback File Store based on the rule of the number of Inactive days in schedule.
File Store, in this case we are sending the Archive to NAS File Store. Find out more at: Smart Asset Management: File Stores
Show Search
Inactive Days in Schedule...the Workflow rule is set to go into effect after a program within the Show Search: Council Meetings has not been scheduled in two (2) days.
Finally, we've checked the Enabled box at the bottom. This allows us to turn the rule on and off without having to delete it when it is not in use.

View Report and Logs

Workflows: Reports and Logs video
TRT: 40 seconds
A quick review and show of the Reports and Logs within the Workflows function in Cablecast 7.5