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42U Helps KCSM Expand Television Studio Environment
KCSM, a public television and radio broadcaster located in the San Francisco Bay Area, wanted to expand its studio environment. For assistance with the project, KCSM contacted 42U, the nation's leading provider of data center and remote server management solutions.
Background
In the summer of 2006, KCSM received a Digital Distribution Fund (DDF) grant of more than $300,000 to upgrade its master control operations. Of the total grant, $50,000 was earmarked to optimize workflow in the master control environment to support KCSM's full schedule of public television programming and consolidate all equipment to a master control room. At the time, KCSM was using an Avocent 2X8 AV Outlook KVM solution and sought to expand this concept.
Creating a Solution to Meet KCSM's Challenges
KCSM was looking for a large multi-user KVM solution to make the most out of its new environment. The organization hoped that by expanding its KVM system, it would increase the efficiency of both the users and the systems overall. Specifically, KCSM was looking for a solution that would allow all users to access any system attached to the KVM solution. In addition, KCSM wanted a system that was easy to set up and maintain, could be expanded to accommodate future growth, and that would help reduce cable clutter. After a thorough analysis of the organization's goals, 42U designed a solution that met KCSM's needs and fit under its $50,000 budget. The solution consisted of Avocent AMX products, including the Avocent AMX5010 16-User by 64-Port rackmount KVM switch with the AMWorks Java-based software management tool; AMX5130 user stations with audio, serial, and USB; and AMIQDM-USB Dual UTP USB interface modules with audio and serial. Avocent's Technology Meets KCSM's Challenges | Challenge 1: Allow multiple users to access any system attached to the KVM solution | The Avocent AMX allows multi-user simultaneous access and full KVM connectivity to a variety of server platforms, including PS2, USB, and SUN, as well as serial devices. | | Challenge 2: Select a solution that is easy to set up and maintain | KCSM found the equipment easy to set up, and as operators were already familiar with the user interface, transitioning to the new system went smoothly. | | Challenge 3: Select a solution that can be expanded easily | The Avocent AMX is scalable and will permit KCSM to add computers or devices as its environment evolves and grows. | | Challenge 4: Select a solution that simplifies cable management | Avocent AMIQ dongles replace bulky cabling connections with industry-standard Category 5 or 6 cabling and deliver real-time, high-bandwidth video for KVM switching up to 1,000 feet away from a server. |
According to Hanns Ullrich, Operations Manager/Engineer at KCSM, the new solution has made the production environment more flexible for operators and has eliminated the need to perform specific tasks at particular workstations. "Now the operators can do any task from any position," Hanns said. He added that the new equipment has also made troubleshooting and repair easier for systems engineers as they can access systems from anywhere. In addition, since the new equipment lets KCSM do more with the same number of resources, as two people can do similar tasks at the same time, staff are able to spend additional time checking content before it goes on the air. Hanns said that he is pleased with the solution as it meets KCSM's needs and is easy to use. He said that the 42U sales engineer who assisted him was very helpful with the ordering process and made sure the he didn't order extra things that already came with the equipment. "The experience was very positive," Hanns said. About 42U
The team at 42U specializes in needs assessment, solution design, and implementation support to ensure that IT professionals maximize their use of current technologies to improve overall business performance. 42U provides complete remote management solutions, including KVM over IP, intelligent power, environmental monitoring, server room cooling, and rackmount solutions. A 42U sales engineer can help you improve your data center performance by helping you select solutions that are most appropriate for your organization's particular needs and environment. About 42U
42U focuses on providing Facilities and Data Center Managers with objective and trusted independent information on Data Center Power and Data Center Cooling best practices along with KVM over IP and Remote Power lights out management to help them reduce their organization's power consumption. Our Data Center Management website has helped millions of IT professionals globally who search for best practices and technologies to help them make their computer environment more efficient. | |
