Arista expands EOS and CloudVision software platforms as a foundation for high-performance M&E networking 

Arista Networks has extended its Arista EOS (Extensible Operating System) and CloudVision software to support high-performance switched networks for media and entertainment customers. Media Control Service (MCS) makes broadcast workflows an integral function of the Arista network fabric providing customers with faster establishment of audio and video streams.

In a race to nearly zero switching latency, if a live broadcast or studio console operator presses a button, they want to see results instantaneously, and MCS is said to get customers closer to that goal even for large-scale broadcast infrastructures. Together with Arista switching platforms, MCS supports the transition from SDI to IP switching by adding a layer of security, performance and predictability to real-time on-premises and remote production networks.

MCS integrates with Arista broadcast solutions partners to give broadcasters and studio operators guaranteed uptime and performance. Complete end-to-end solutions with support for MCS are already available and will continue to expand.

“We are very pleased that the collaboration between the Imagine Communications and Arista development teams has enabled the integration of the Arista Media Control Service API into our Magellan control system. We look forward to working with Arista to continue to provide this high-value solution to our customers,” said John Mailhot, CTO, networking and infrastructure, Imagine Communications.

Arista MCS is a licensed software service that is built on the state-based data-driven architecture of Arista EOS and NetDL. It provides APIs to dynamically program bandwidth-protected multicast flows across an Arista IP topology while also providing integrated event notification and tally in an efficient and deterministic manner. Also, in conjunction with CloudVision, it provides automated discovery, network fabric scheduling, path programming, real-time network analytics, multicast monitoring, and ultra-low-latency switching control. This ensures that live broadcast events can be conducted seamlessly under extreme demands.

“The integration with Arista MCS gives Lawo VSM consolidated access to a SMPTE2110 fabric in a variety of scales and architectures. Arista MCS and CloudVision provide crucial features such as IP broadcast fabric pathfinding, bandwidth allocation and management and are embraced by VSM into its rich hybrid IP, multivendor, end-to-end signal routing solution,” said Stephan Türkay, senior product manager media infrastructure, Lawo.

Unlike a simple QoS policy-based solution applied on top of an existing IP fabric, MCS utilises an intelligent and deterministic algorithm to orchestrate end-to-end connectivity for multicast workflows and workloads using centralised state and event services provided by EOS NetDL.

MCS is supported on all of Arista’s EOS-based platforms including the full range of Arista 7000-series 10/25/40/50/100/400G Ethernet switches.