SMPTE, OSA Partner on Advancing Media Microservices Standards

SMPTE OSA Media Microservices
(Image credit: SMPTE)

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—SMPTE and the Open Services Alliance (OSA) announced publication of two Committee Draft documents aimed at advancing standardization of microservices for media.

The public documents, available as free downloads for an implementer wishing to build initial implementation, include SMPTE ST 2125, which documents a standardized IMF Registration API, and SMPTE ST 2126, which standardizes status reporting and logging for media microservices. They are also available for public review and feedback, the organizations said.

"Work began on this API within the OSA about six months ago. A focused project group agreed on an approach and quickly produced a document to SMPTE, who then continued the rapid pace of getting a draft into the hands of implementers," said Chris Lennon, OSA founder and executive director and CEO of MediAnswers. 

"Utilizing SMPTE's new public Committee Draft (CD) process, the contribution from the OSA underwent a thorough but accelerated review by SMPTE's Media Microservices Drafting Group, reporting to the 34CS Technology Committee, which is focused on media systems, control and services. We expect this to be the first of many opportunities for collaboration," said Lennon.

SMPTE ST 2126 followed a similar path from the OSA through SMPTE. It focuses on the challenge of implementing multivendor, multicloud, microservice-based solutions that lack a standardized, common means to report success or failure of execution. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and European Broadcasting Union (EBU) provided OSA with input.

According to SMPTE, public CD process is lightweight and nimble, allows public comment—not simply comments from the SMPTE standards community—relies on easy-to-follow rules and makes it easier for trade bodies to work with SMPTE.

More information is available on the SMPTE website.

Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.