Adding MediaConnect Flow Channels

Owned by Eli Pielet (Writec) (Unlicensed)
Last updated: 04 Aug 2022

ZEN Master supports two different methods for integrating MediaConnect Flows.

  • Method 1 - Connecting MediaConnect Flows to ZEN Master: This method uses an independent MediaConnect Flow as a Source (as described in Adding a MediaConnect Source – Connecting an Existing Flow) or Target (as described in Adding AWS MediaConnect Targets) in ZEN Master. The resultant Source or Target functions as a standard ZEN Master entity.

  • Method 2 – Creating ZEN Master Managed Flows: This method involves creating a MediaConnect Flow that is fully managed within ZEN Master. This involves creating specialized MediaConnect Sources as well as specialized MediaConnect Flow Channels in ZEN Master. This method enables you to manage the Flow completely from within ZEN Master, including interchanging between Sources and Flow Channels. There are two ways of creating these Managed Flows:

    • Create a new MediaConnect Flow - create a completely new MediaConnect Flow from the ZEN Master console (i.e. without accessing the MediaConnect console or using their APIs). This involves creating a specialized MediaConnect Source in ZEN master (as described in Creating a New Media Connect Flow Channel) and then creating a specialized MediaConnect Flow Channel (as described in Adding MediaConnect Flow Channels). This enables you to work exclusively within the ZEN Master UI.

    • Import an Existing MediaConnect Flow to Manage in ZEN Master - This method involves inporting an existing Flow from MediaConnect into ZEN Master (as described in Importing a MediaConnect Flow Channel). The input from your MediaConnect Flow is automatically created as a specialized MediaConnect Source in ZEN Master and the outputs are created as Targets in ZEN Master. In addition, the Flow itself is created as a specialized MediaConnect Flow Channel. All elements can be monitored and managed in ZEN Master.

Once you have created or imported a ZEN Master Managed Flow (method 2), you should manage that Flow entirely through ZEN Master and not through the MediaConnect console.

MediaConnect Flows that are created as Channels in ZEN Master are independent of the Sources that are assigned to them so that you can swap Sources between Channels at any time.

MediaConnect Sources created using Method 2 must be assigned to a special type of Channel, a MediaConnect Flow Channel. MediaConnect Sources created using Method 1 can be assigned to standard ZEN Master Channels.

The following sections describe the procedure for creating ZEN Master Managed Flows by creating a new Flow in ZEN Master or importing an existing Flow. For Method 1, you just create a MediaConnect Source in ZEN Master as described in Adding a MediaConnect Source – Connecting an Existing Flow.