Fortune 100 Company Needed to Improve User Access Control to Shared Storage System
The Challenge
A Fortune 100 company needed to upgrade its Harmonic® MediaGrid shared storage device with a simplified system to control user access to its in-house video production files.
The company was using a collection of scripts to define user access rights on their MediaGrid. The scripts connected to an aging Content Management System (CMS) integrated with the storage server as an intermediary, and then with a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server for credentials. The problem was the LDAP server did not sync properly in the company’s diverse environment of Windows/OS X servers and workstations.
With many of the editors being freelance non-employees, access to folders stored on the MediaGrid had to be limited to a “need to access” only basis.
The company knew they wanted to move to an Active Directory solution, and remove the CMS from the mix for this critical workflow.
The Solution
DigitalGlue, with its long relationship as a Harmonic reseller, was able to provide the solution using an easy-to-use Web Interface to automatically update Active Directory Domain credentials. Active directory integrates with the MediaGrid API and sets ACLs (Access Control Limits) on the storage system.
Once the MediaGrid and the edit-bay workstations (Windows/OS X) were joined to the domain, leaving the old LDAP server behind, synchronization problems were solved. Domain groups were defined to permit read-only or read-write access. A third group grants admin rights to members who can further define more limits, such as the number of projects an editor could check-out at one time, as well as the ability to revoke access to a project at any time.
The Takeaway
The upgrade resulted in a user friendly Web page, where all the projects are displayed and active users are identified. Corporate client members (read-only) are able to see which editors are working on their projects.
Editors (read-write) members are shown a list all of the projects with a simple click to change interface. The Web app limits projects available for check-out to only those that are not already checked out, thus avoiding any shared write-access issues. The Web app also limits the number of projects allowed to be out at once.
For this customer, the Active Directory server, as well as the Web server, are hosted on Virtual Machines for a robust infrastructure environment.
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About DigitalGlue
DigitalGlue provides equipment, integration, and software development for the production and distribution of digital video. The company analyzes clients’ workflows to build optimized solutions for collaborate editing, automation, media asset management, storage, and archiving. From contribution to distribution, the DigitalGlue team works with customers to efficiently deliver their programming over fiber, cable, satellite, IPTV, and OTT.
DigitalGlue designs, integrates, and supports systems based on today’s needs, yet draw from years of real-world experience to engineer a technology path for tomorrow.
More information is available at www.digitalglue.com.
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DigitalGlue Contact: Lita Honkpo
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Email: lita.honkpo@digitalglue.com
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