RCS, the World’s Largest Broadcast Software Company, has made sure our radio automation equipment, like NexGen, could distribute content between multiple stations. NexGen Digital introduced Wancasting to the radio industry.
When we implemented Wancasting in Zetta four years ago, we kept improving it. In fact, there were so many improvements and exclusive features in the Zetta brand of Wancasting; we had to give it a new name: “ZCast”. The new name kicks in with the upcoming Zetta version 3.5. This new version introduces a completely new technology that helps you share and synchronize content. The new technology is referred to as, Site Replication.
While ZCast will still facilitate” ad hoc” transfers of content between unrelated stations, Site Replication literally integrates two or more Zetta systems that can share more than just songs or logs. Way more, in fact…
The whole idea behind RCS Site Replication was to facilitate multiple remote Zetta systems (each with their own database and content stores) to form a single Zetta “super site.” Any change made on Zetta system A immediately propagates to Zetta systems B, C, D… apart from all assets and asset types, we keep in sync all Logs, Hot Keys and Stacks along with most station-related configurations; organizations (groups of stations); users, roles and associated user rights and user preferences.
We also went as far to give you the synchronizing of user interface; theming, row and attribute highlighting and even keyboard shortcuts. You can work on a Zetta system in Boston today and then, a completely different Zetta system in New York tomorrow, and as long as you are a member of the Site Replication Group. You’ll have the same experience every time.
Any and all changes propagate automatically behind the scenes and typically synchronize in less than a second. Site Replication is a fantastic technology to achieve high-quality system redundancy and emergency recovery.
If you use GSelector for music scheduling and station programming, you can benefit even more from Site Replication. Each Zetta site would typically have their own GSelector instance; with Zetta and Site Replication in between these GSelector systems, songs, links and logs can be synchronized from one GSelector install to another GSelector.
We also equipped Site Replication with throttling capabilities to allow system administrators control inbound and outbound bandwidth. Each and every transfer knows its own priority and importance based on when it is “needed.”
For each Zetta site you define which Stations that particular site “subscribes to” and therefore, cares about. While metadata (song titles, artists, station or user information etc.) are cheap to transfer as far as bandwidth utilization goes, of course, audio files are a different story.
If the site subscribes to some stations only, audio files will only be transferred to the site if corresponding assets are active on the station(s) that the site subscribes to. While this helps save bandwidth tremendously, station personnel still have access to all assets in the group which can be easily searched in the “enterprise” asset Library. A user can simply activate those assets, provided the user has sufficient user rights and remember; user rights are synchronized within the group and can be managed centrally.
Site Replication is another cutting edge feature to look forward to in the upcoming major Zetta release, version 4. For additional information on RCS Site Replication, please contact RCS.