Digital content management is one of the biggest challenges facing many enterprises, film studios, government agencies and broadcasters. The move from analogue to digital media processes, and the advent of file-based content and networks to access content more efficiently, has prompted producers, scientists, engineers, artists and librarians to look to content management solutions as a way of organising documents, images, audio and visual elements - from the moment they are captured, through the production and finishing processes, to content distribution and archive. 

The exponential growth in the amount of digital content being generated, combined with the increased resolution of this content, and the need for it to be delivered in multiple formats and file types, means that whether you are in a broadcast network newsroom, a Hollywood digital intermediate facility, or the IT department of a major enterprise, the challenge is the same. How do you successfully manage the digital content files; the "metadata" that describes and accompanies those files; all the storage devices, file servers, networks and applications; and ensure they are all up and running, and that the right content is available in the right resolution and format to only those people with the correct security clearances; throughout the production pipeline?

SGI has a range of powerful and affordable solutions to address the workflows of organisations requiring digital content management for production and archive. These are based on integrated server, storage and networking solutions, coupled with application partners specialising in digital asset, archive and file system management. The solutions help organise and monitor your file systems, storage and server infrastructure, and develop effective schema for managing content files and their associated metadata. The systems scale from NAS to SAN and provide a standardised file system structure, simplifying and automating administration and monitoring tasks. By abstracting the powerful content management tools from any single application, SGI provides greater flexibility and choice - resulting in greater productivity, profitability and return on investment.

Render farm and NAS bundle for rich media applications
One example of these solutions is the render farm and NAS (network attached storage) bundle from SGI and PipelineFX™.

Creative and technical professionals are facing custom geometries and larger datasets that add higher levels of realism to digital simulations and video games, but also escalate the amount of data per frame to be rendered. At the same time, these users are concerned about maintaining the quality on which they've built their reputations. The more iterations an artist can execute in a given timeframe, the better the end product will be. However, lengthening build times can compromise the product's quality.

SGI® Altix® XE servers with PipelineFX™ Qube!™ software create a rendering solution that readily addresses these challenges, while SGI® InfiniteStorage NAS solutions provide optimal NAS services for data-intensive rich media environments. Together, SGI and PipelineFX enable creative and technical users to achieve greater efficiencies in managing their project workflows, resulting in increased productivity, shorter production timelines and higher quality content.

Qube! integrates directly with most leading 3D modelling and rendering applications, providing render management across multiple applications and operating systems. It combines state-of-the-art techniques for batch queuing, distributed processing and render farm management; maximizes job throughput; and accelerates the millions of computational tasks that occur during the graphics rendering and software build processes.

FURTHER INFORMATION
www.sgi.com/industries/render_mgt