Leveraging control plane functionality, media professionals are easily able to find, play and transfer media assets. The control plane also collects transfer-related metadata, such as chain of custody information, and allows users to input additional metadata.
Signiant Platform Architecture
Signiant was the first to connect the global media supply chain with a unique, hybrid SaaS platform. With this approach, the platform is able to provide fast, seamless and secure access to media assets on any storage, anywhere.
The platform connects people, systems and the cloud, offering centralized access, visibility and control across global supply chains involving complex hybrid cloud, multi-cloud environments. This Software-Defined Content Exchange, or SDCX, architecture offers many benefits to media companies that are connected to the platform.
SDCX SaaS Platform
The SDCX SaaS architecture addresses any use case within or between companies, in any hybrid cloud or multi-cloud environment, allowing content anywhere across the global fabric of SDCX-enabled storage and services to be accessed quickly and seamlessly by people and systems, while ensuring that valuable media assets are always secure and under customer control.
The SDCX architecture is designed with separate data plane and control plane layers. The control plane provides various user interfaces, each tailored to different stakeholders. By interacting with these interfaces or using Signiant APIs, administrators can authorize, orchestrate and track the movement of content that occurs on the data plane and broker inter-company content exchange, authorized by a simple and secure multi-party cloud handshake.
Control Plane
Data Plane
The data plane enables the fast, seamless and secure access to media assets employing patented network optimization technology. Media assets move directly between endpoints located on different networks, including devices, public clouds and private data centers around the world. Regardless of where or how content is stored – in file or object storage, at on-premises locations or in the cloud – it always remains under the customer’s control.
SDCX Server Software
SDCX Server software on the data plane is aware of all data in the associated storage and tracks changes, such as files being added, deleted, or modified. In addition to transfer functions, the SDCX Server software can also extract metadata and create proxies. Selected storage events and metadata are continuously directed back to the control plane, which can in turn display information about assets, enable search and instruct operations to be performed on the media assets. All major public cloud platforms are pre-provisioned by Signiant with cloud-native SDCX transport infrastructure, and companies can easily install SDCX Server software in their private clouds and local storage locations.
Beyond Fast File Transfer
While the seamless, secure movement of information between control and data plane layers was initially geared toward mission-critical file transfer use cases, the SDCX architecture establishes a foundation for enabling media-related functions that go beyond fast file movement.
System Architectures by Storage Type
Jet: On-Premises
Jet’s SDCX SaaS architecture with on-premises storage locations
When Jet is used to transfer data between on-premises storage locations, SDCX Server software is installed on the customer’s network at each endpoint. The SDCX Servers allow Jet endpoints to send and receive files, and communicate with Jet services on the control plane.
Jet: On-Premises + Cloud
Jet’s SDCX SaaS architecture with on-premises and cloud storage locations
When transferring content between on-premises SDCX software and the multi-tenant, autoscaling cloud SDCX Servers communicate with Jet services on the control plane.
Media Shuttle: On-Premises
Media Shuttle’s SDCX SaaS architecture with on-premises storage
When a Media Shuttle portal is connected to an on-premises storage, SDCX Server software is installed and hosted on the customer’s network. The SDCX Server communicates with Media Shuttle on the control plane and allows content to be seen and/or received.
Media Shuttle: Cloud
Media Shuttle’s SDCX SaaS architecture with cloud storage
When a Media Shuttle portal is connected to cloud object storage, cloud-native SDCX Servers communicate with Media Shuttle on the control plane and allow files to be sent and received. These multi-tenant, auto-scaling SDCX Servers are hosted and maintained entirely by Signiant.
Customers become part of the SDCX ecosystem by adopting one or more products from Signiant’s SaaS File Transfer Portfolio.
With over 50,000 companies of all sizes exchanging content using Signiant’s SaaS solutions, Jet, Media Shuttle, and Flight Deck, the Signiant Platform is already connected to thousands of on-premises and cloud storage endpoints. The SDCX architecture enables customers to keep endpoints private or to make them discoverable by selected partners in their supply chain.