NLT Nearchive & XenData: Open Archive for Avid MediaCentral | Production Management

When integrated with a XenData Archive Server, the NL Technology Nearchive™ software establishes a highly scalable, open-architecture archive tailored for Avid MediaCentral | Production Management (formerly Interplay Production) and MediaCentral | Cloud UX (MCCUX) environments. This solution enables the rapid migration of media assets from Avid NEXIS online storage to cost-effective LTO tape or cloud tiers, with seamless restoration capabilities for content reuse. Because asset and sequence metadata stays in the Production Management database, users can search for archived content with the Avid tools they already use and (partially) restore only what they need.

• Native Avid Workflow – Using Interplay Access or MCCUX, right-click any Production Management asset and choose NLT Nearchive Services → Store or Restore. No new user interface is required.
• Metadata Always Online – Archived clips, sequences, and their metadata stay searchable in Production Management. Status indicators show which assets are archived (red) and which are online (green).
• Native Avid Media, Fast Relink – Media is stored in native Avid format so it can be restored and relinked quickly.
• Flexible Storage Targets – XenData manages LTO libraries and cloud storage on Microsoft Azure, AWS S3, and other S3-compatible storage, including lower-cost cold tiers.
• Built-in Data Protection – Automatic LTO duplication for off-site copies, management of an unlimited number of cartridges stored outside the library, file version control, and disaster-recovery backup.
• Real-Time Job Monitoring – Track archive and restore jobs on the Nearchive job page, integrated with MCCUX or in any browser. Each job reports success or the specific error, such as too little space on the LTO media or a missing volume needed for a restore. This feedback goes directly to the Avid operator.
• iNews Integration – Nearchive automatically monitors story and rundown queues in iNews (now MediaCentral | Newsroom Management) and creates archive requests for the sequences and master clips linked to each story. Story metadata is added to the archived material, so it can be searched by story.
• AutoIngest Integration – NLT AutoIngest can send newly ingested footage directly to archive storage, freeing expensive online storage while keeping clips searchable.
• Proxy Generation – The Nearchive server builds H.264 MP4 proxies stored locally, or works with NLT Media Transcoder to build Avid H.264 MXF proxies stored on NEXIS.
• Browser-Based Asset Manager – Search the archive outside the Avid workgroup, with an H.264 streaming player that provides frame-by-frame scrubbing and comment sharing.
• Open, Standards-Based Archive – XenData presents the archive as a standard Windows file system (SMB), accepts any file type, and works with standard Windows clients. The archive supports the industry-standard LTFS tape format for long-term compatibility.

System Architecture

1. Avid Environment – Media Composer editors, Avid NEXIS shared storage, Production Management server (Interplay), MCCUX clients, and the Avid iNews newsroom system.
2. NLT Nearchive hosted on the XenData Archive Server – Nearchive moves media between NEXIS and a XenData-managed volume over the Avid LAN. XenData archive software writes that content to LTO volume sets, or to cloud storage, and manages replication and off-site copies.
3. Archive Storage – Robotic LTO library, public or private cloud (Azure, AWS S3, or other S3-compatible storage), or both.

How It Works

1. Select – Using Interplay Access or MCCUX, select clips, sequences, or folders. You can also configure iNews or AutoIngest rules to select content automatically.
2. Store – Right-click → NLT Nearchive Services → Store. Media is copied from NEXIS to the XenData archive, along with a copy of its metadata. The media can then be removed from NEXIS to free space.
3. Protect – XenData writes the content to LTO (with optional duplicate cartridges for off-site storage) or to cloud storage.
4. Search – Metadata stays in Production Management, so archived assets show up in normal Avid searches and in NLT's browser-based asset manager.
5. Restore & Edit – Right-click → NLT Nearchive Services → Restore. Media is returned to NEXIS in native Avid format and relinks, ready for editing.

Target Applications

• Broadcast News – Automatically move media off costly online storage to the archive while keeping it searchable, with story-based archiving driven by iNews. Customers include large, midscale, and small broadcasters.
• Sports Teams & Leagues – Build a searchable game and highlight library. Customers include the Carolina Panthers (NFL), Oklahoma Sooners (NCAA), Edmonton Oilers (NHL), and Colorado Rockies (MLB).“NLT’s Archive integrated seamlessly into our existing Avid workflow, allowing us to work within our Avid environment; and didn’t require our editors to become archive librarians just to retrieve footage. Archive was the perfect solution.”
  — Stephen Herbster, Creative Services & Post Production Manager, Carolina Panthers, NFL
• Post-Production & Production Houses – Park projects on hold, preserve the project state, and reclaim NEXIS space. Customers include major post houses in Europe, Japan, Canada, and the USA.
• Government, Education & Enterprise Video – Long-term, low-cost retention of Avid-managed content. Customers include the NIH, the White House, and higher education institutions.