Migrating to a full up IP system while “the plane is in flight”

Discussion of what was/is involved in the ongoing migration of Microsoft Production Studio’s a large scale, fully operational corporate communications facility In Redmond, WA from SDI to an operational all-IP (ST 2110) solution involving multiple stages, over several months and without compromising any of the continual operations.

Concerns and scope included educating the client, defining the scale of the requirements through a nine-month technology assessment, developing a series of RFIs for solutions, creating POCs and sandboxes, incremental changes that included standing up an initial core (Arista Networks system) for audio only as Ravenna (not 2110-30) and replacing the entire intercom system. Migration will include a pair of protected quad-core switching networks and dozens of distributed leaf switches.

Microsoft leveraged its relationships with Azure and Arista to decrease the supply chain delivery times and accelerate the needed additional core-switches and leaf-extensions before any video (2110-20) could be turned up. The additional switches will be delivered in Nov-2022 and then augmented again in Spring 2023

Challenges, besides the lead times, included building out an entirely new fiber optic physical plant with thousands of new SM and MM fiber, developing a strategic means to shift old equipment out on a planned set of changes; teaching contracted technical support what IP is; finding unique ways to continually change the system adding new production switchers, new cameras, doubling the ingest and playout servers and encoders; and a myriad of network transition details that move their entire corporate network from Cisco to Arista.

Hurdles included working around their 24x7 live production and streaming operations and getting the Microsoft teams to change their workflow mindset from SDI linear to adaptable IP across numerous editing suites and live (streamed) studio productions. 

Project involves from 24-36 months of design, consulting, development, and workflow management alterations.