Asset Logistics App

A preconfigured database using Apache CouchDB is optionally installed with Compere, and is essential for working with Actor servers. Installed alongside is FileZilla FTP server software for the distribution of assets throughout the whole system. There is no need to manually copy assets between devices and locations.

This section provides a more technical reference to the workings of the database into which all assets are ingested, creating metadata records used in their organisation. Metadata added is available in Compere’s Asset Management panel, and is used to automate other processes such as the distribution of sectioned media.

The Asset Logistics app file may still be named ‘MediaLogisticsApp’, because its role widened in development. That name is used in examples here. On an Actor device, it is typically found in C:\7thSense\compere, along with a settings file ‘ML-settings.xml’. It relies on an ingest (‘watch’) folder in a static location, into which new assets are copied prior to ingesting them into the database. The destination location is referred to as the asset vault.

Startup – Command Line Options

MediaLogisticsApp.exe has a number of settings that are configurable from the command line. The complete list of supported command-line parameters can be shown with the -h or –help switch, e.g.:

MediaLogisticsApp.exe -h

Logistics settings can also be stored in an XML settings file (ML-settings.xml) which (if used) should be in the same directory as the MediaLogisticsApp.exe executable.

The watch folder, asset vault, machine ID, machine name and machine address (hostname or specific IP) are the parameters which must always be specified, either on the command-line, e.g.:

MediaLogisticsApp.exe -i c:\assetWatch -d c:\assetVault --machine-name "controlPC-01" --machine-address "10.100.101.10"

or in the ML-settings.xml file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<MediaLogisticsSettings

watchFolder="c:\assetWatch"

assetVault="c:\assetVault"

machineName="controlPC-01"

machineAddress="10.100.101.10"/>

Any setting(s) specified on the command-line take precedence over the same settings stored in the XML file.

Adding the -s switch on the command-line causes the current settings to be written to the specified file, e.g.:

MediaLogisticsApp.exe -i c:\assetWatch -d c:\assetVault --assetVaultTags "local;section_1" --machine-name "controlPC-01" --machine-address "10.100.101.10" -s lastSettings.xml

writes the following to the file lastSettings.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<MediaLogisticsSettings

watchFolder="c:\assetWatch"

assetVault="c:\assetVault"

assetVaultTags="local;section_1"

machineName="controlPC-01"

machineAddress="10.100.101.10"/>

This provides an easy mechanism to transfer selected settings to ML-settings.xml for inclusion the next time the Logistics app starts.

Note: Logistics does not monitor the ML-settings.xml for changes, it is only read on startup.

Page edited [d/m/y]: 19/01/2024