1. Introduction

eMAM is an all-in-one, web-based Digital Asset Management (DAM) software system designed to organize, share, and collaborate digitized information such as audios, videos, images, and documents. EMAM has taken a ground-breaking approach to create a flexible, feature-rich, and modular digital asset management platform to meet asset management requirements of individuals, as well as major enterprises. eMAM allows users to login to the application using any standard web browser. eMAM supports three types of logins: using Normal login, Active Directory login or SSO login.

EMAM can offer basic hardware specs for the different packages and platforms, but it is ultimately up to the Reseller/ SI or cloud vendor to finetune the hardware specs with their offerings and the customer’s requirements. This document is meant as a starting point guide. 

Here’s a comparison chart of different eMAM products:

FIGURE 1- EMAM PRODUCTS COMPARISON CHART

2. eMAM Workgroup

eMAM Workgroup is a powerful system to create, manage, and share media storage, in any number of cloud or local/on premise environments. The eMAM web interface can manage the storage, processing, and archive of media. Users can quickly search human or AI tagged media, browse, and preview proxy copies of media from any connected device. Users can create markers and sub clips and organize media into projects and sequences/timelines. Editors and designers can use panels inside Adobe Creative Cloud apps (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign) and an extension inside Apple Final Cut to access all of the eMAM tools, manage media, and collaborate with eMAM web users. Media can be downloaded or delivered to any location. It can be shared by branded email or social media and linked to newsroom and publishing/streaming systems. A range of transcoding systems can make different formats as needed. Media can be automatically or manually moved to permanent, low cost local or archive, but all media remains searchable. Needed media can be restored, with some configurations supporting partial file restore.

eMAM Workgroup can run two servers or VMs to support 25 active defined users. It can be expanded to include additional (or unlimited) users, server licenses for additional locations, artificial intelligence/machine learning tagging, additional workflow features, segregated business units, and scaling/disaster recovery options.

2.1 eMAM Database/Web Nodes

In eMAM Workgroup system configuration, eMAM database and web server nodes can be installed in one server. We recommend keeping the database and log files in a RAID10 array with daily backup configuration.

eMAM Gateway and eMAM Analytics Gateway will be pointed to the eMAM Database running the same server. eMAM Director and web applications will be deployed in the same server and these components will be pointed to eMAM Gateways running in the same server.

In case of any server failure, a new server can be built with the required eMAM components. eMAM database can be restored from the backup or from the RAID array. 

Web server nodes can be installed in a different server (third server) at a later stage in case of heavy load.

2.2 eMAM Application Node

This consists of one server installed with server based transcoding software, eMAM Delivery Service, eMAM Ingest Manager, eMAM Archive and eMAM Task Manager. All these application components are deployed as backed windows services and these components will be pointed to eMAM Gateways running in the eMAM Database/Web server.

eMAM has the option to configure a less expensive NAS storage or LTO tape library as archive storage. Content can be kept in both online disk storage and archive storage. Disk retention rules can be set in eMAM to move the content from disk storage to archive. Content from the archive can be restored to online disk storage or it can be delivered outside eMAM in any desired file format. eMAM supports partial restore for supported broadcast file formats.  EMAM recommends LTO library to preserve and protect the content in archive for long term. eMAM requires third party software to manage Robotic LTO libraries.

Main functionalities of application node are:

5. Monitor the watch folders for incoming files.
6. Transcode the incoming source files and prepare web-based proxy copies and other platform files.
7. Index and move the source files and proxy files to connected storages.
8. Deliver the content from managed storages to external locations.
9. Archive the files to NAS storage or the LTO library managed by our partner 3rd party Archive vendors. 

https://www.emamsolutions.com/tech-partners/

7. Restore (including partial) the files to connected disk storage. 
8. Production Management / Adobe Products Plugins

In case of any server failure, we can manually bring up these services from another server. Failed jobs can be easily resubmitted from the eMAM Director Dashboard. 

3. Server Specifications 

The eMAM Workgroup software package consists of eMAM Database, eMAM Gateway, eMAM Analytics Gateway, eMAM Director, eMAM Ingest Manager, eMAM Task Manager, eMAM Archive and eMAM Delivery Service. In eMAM Workgroup configuration, eMAM software components can be deployed in 2+ servers.

Basic or minimum Server hardware requirements for eMAM Workgroup are as follows:

4. Network Diagram

Below are high level network diagrams for eMAM Workgroup system installed on-prem or on cloud or in a hybrid environment.

4.1 On Premise Network Diagram

FIGURE 2- ON PREMISE NETWORK DIAGRAM

FIGURE 5- FIREWALL PORTS TO BE OPENED

6. Need Help

Please contact your Sales Representative for details. sales@emamsolutions.com +1.888.808.3856

7. Appendices

7.1 Archive Appliance / Archive Server

This server is required to manage a robotic LTO library. eMAM Archive module will interface with the archive server/appliance to perform archive, restore and partial restore functions from LTO tapes. 

http://emamsolutions.com/partners.aspx

7.2 Transcode Appliance / Transcode Server

eMAM requires a transcoder to create .h264 MP4 proxy files for eMAM. eMAM Ingest and delivery modules will interface with the transcode server/appliance to perform transcodes. Transcoding is done by a 3rd party partner. In eMAM Workgroup, in most cases you may use the same server that is running eMAM.

http://emamsolutions.com/partners.aspx

7.3 Online disk storage

eMAM stores the original and proxy files in an online disk storage for immediate access. Storage size is determined based on the daily ingest volume and the amount of content that needs to be kept in the online disk storage. eMAM has built in options to move the content from online storage to archive storage based on storage threshold, archive threshold (days) and other archive rules. eMAM uses NAS, DAS or SAN storage as online disk storage depends on the customer requirements. Additional third-party software may require connecting to the multi-write SAN volumes. ** 

Note – eMAM uses Windows Service users that must have read/write/delete access to the Storage. This in most cases requires the same user is also a valid user on the storage.

7.4  Cloud Storage (Optional)

eMAM can store the content in Object Storage buckets. The eMAM Cloud connector can upload the original content and proxy files into separate cloud storage buckets. Content that exist in AWS S3 buckets can be presented through Amazon CloudFront (CDN) URL within eMAM. For example, if somebody tries to preview a video from Los Angeles, the video will be loaded from a datacenter in Los Angeles. If somebody tries to preview the same video from London, the video will be loaded from a datacenter near to London. Cloud storage can be considered as archive storage too.

Purchase the cloud services from a cloud vendor and provide the account configuration details to eMAM implementation team. (Few cloud vendors below)

1. http://aws.amazon.com/s3/
2. http://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/ 
3. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/storage/ 
4. https://cloud.google.com/storage/ 
5. https://wasabi.com