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MPEG Video Storage & Database Access
By Cobra Technologies™
The Challenge
The handling of the CD/DVD disk has proven to be a challenge. Disks get mislaid and lost when sent out to users. This necessitates the need to retain a master copy of the disk in some secure location to ensure video files will be available when required.
While the storage of video files on CDs/DVDs is certainly a distinct improvement over the traditional videotape, storage on CD/DVD media has proven not to be particularly flexible and has limitations similar to those of videotapes. It cannot be easily moved around and is limited to one user having access to the information at a time.
The option of installing the CDs/DVDs in a Jukebox provides improved access to the video files so long as the Jukebox is accessible on a network. However, disks require continual maintenance and the re-cataloging of the files is time consuming and labor intensive.
The Solution
The optimal method to store video files on a network is the Cobra Video Pipeline Server with a mass storage drive array specifically designed to handle video files. The video storage disk array is connected via a SCSI link to Cobra Video Pipeline Server. The drive array is normally supplied with 1 Terabyte (TB) of storage which when used with MPEG 1 files will store approximately 1,000 hours of video.
Additional drive arrays can be added as required for additional video storage by simply linking the new drive array to the existing drive array.
The Cobra Video Pipeline Server with the video storage array allows any User with access rights on the network to access the video files from the CIMS™ database using video linking software provided in CIMS™.
Managing video files on the disk array is a simple task. As video files are no longer required "on-line" they can be transferred to a CD/DVD for archiving. When videos are transferred to disc for "off line" storage, CIMS™ can then link the data to the specific CD/DVD enabling the User to quickly locate any video file.
The Cobra Video Pipeline Server provides the User with the most secure and simplest way of storing and accessing videos on a network. The Cobra disk array is designed to be self-healing and does not require to be backed up as it is designed with Raid 30 disks.
For Users to be able to use the video storage on wide area networks, the video server must be accessible with sufficient bandwidth. MPEG files cannot be transmitted over a T1 line, which is limited to 1.4MBs. For Users with multiple T1 connections, Cobra can provide reverse multiplex hardware to transmit the video files. The only practical way to transmit video over a WAN is to have a fiber optical link.
It is pointless to store video files on the network without a database to handle the data files and match the data to the video for viewing the video files. CIMS™ Database Management Program provides the User with an ideal management tool to review the video and data files together. CIMS™ can be used on the existing networks to allow multiple User access to both the data and the video. The databases designed by video inspection equipment manufacturers are for the most part based on a Microsoft Access database that cannot be used in network environments and do not have the functionality of a client server multi-user database program.
CIMS™ data, being ODBC compliant, can easily be transferred to other databases on the network.
For Users needing the ability to view video files along with inspection data, selection of a database is simple. Cobra provides the ideal software for Municipal requirements.
