Upcoming 6.x Releases

The current release of Avalon 6 is:  Avalon 6.4.3

• Enhanced structural metadata editing—edit structure for a section visually (core)
• Import of structure within media files (such as WAV cue points) upon ingest (depending on amount of effort, core or IU)
• Performance improvements for objects and playlists with large numbers of items (investigate to decide whether core or IU)
• IIIF Manifest generation from media objects (IU)

Release 7

Our goal with Avalon 7.0 is to offer a full-featured media streaming application based on the modern Samvera stack. To this end, Avalon 7 will be built using Hyrax as a base, offering developers an environment they know and understand, and offering administrators the flexibility to run stand-alone streaming solutions or integrate scalable streaming into existing Hyrax-based applications. As we work toward full-feature parity with Avalon 6, we will continue development and support. Each dot release milestone is estimated to be an 8-week work cycle.

0.1 (Github Milestone) - Using the Avalon Media Player Within Hyrax and IIIF 3.0 Generation and Consumption

The Avalon player will be embedded in a Hyrax app and be initialized with a IIIF manifest generated dynamically from item metadata. In addition, the Hyrax generic work type will be extended minimally to allow for a work to contain necessary technical metadata.

• Core media types (audio and video) can be ingested, transcoded, and attached to a Generic Work.

• IIIF Manifest generated for consumption by player

  • IIIF gem used in Hyrax updated to generate IIIF Presentation API 3.0 manifests (possible collaboration with community)

  • Necessary technical metadata added to Generic work for IIIF manifest (upstream)

• Media player consumes IIIF manifest generated by the application from the work's metadata

• Player streams media (basic http streaming or from specific streaming server)
  

• Development, testing and infrastructure needs for Avalon 7 development defined and in place
  

0.2 (Github Milestone)

This preview will further refine the IIIF Player, auto-generate IIIF manifests based on an Avalonish -work type metadata, and begin discussion and sketches for a branded hyrax-based Avalon solution bundle. Structural metadata will be ported over as is for use in a IIIF manifest.

• A Media Work type in Hyrax is created to store descriptive metadata and technical metadata. Metadataists work on descriptive metadata for the Avalon work type
  • Order of masterfiles is necessary metadata
  • Order of multi-valued pieces of metadata will wait until later
• Player consumes IIIF manifest generated by the application (media work type)
  • Time can be navigated via structural metadata
  • Port Structural metadata (structure within) as current XML 
• Dynamically generated IIIF compliant manifest generated from Media Work type
  • We intend for the manifest to be a central point of interoperability
  • The manifest will be based on the current IIIF-AV 3.0 standard
  • Manifests will be generated based on technical and descriptive metadata
  • Manifests  should ideally use the same endpoints as Hyku (possibly the same generation tool)
  • The manifest contains the structural information, The display should exercise the manifest. 
  • Structural metadata will be stored in XML and crosswalked to the manifest
  • Metadata experts talk through what metadata (descriptive or any other kind) to include. There is already an issue for the recommended descriptive metadata. Need to take a deeper look for technical metadata. (https://github.com/avalonmediasystem/avalon/issues/1772)(https://gist.github.com/jlhardes/1e3adada7410591f46b170e65dce20af)
• Investigate Matterhorn alternatives
  • Matterhorn gives us the nice interface for monitoring
  • Hyrax may suggest a monitoring interface for job queues
  • Exploring how from a collection manager/depositor perspective: if there are issues, how does that get resolved?

0.3

The goal of this cycle is to continue refinement of our media work type while developing our streaming/derivative generation pipeline. UI/UX work will begin, and we will deliver initial mockups. Work on the standalone player will continue. 6.4.3 will be cut as a bug fix.

Descriptive Metadata

• Continued refinement of descriptive metadata and the Audiovisual work type
• Descriptive Metadata continues / Version .2 of spec is implemented in WorkType

Ingest/Streaming Pipeline

• Discuss matterhorn replacement (sidekiq + ffmpeg?)
  • Derivative parameters can be set by administrators (ex: ffmpeg flags)
  • Derivatives files pushed to streaming location and stream URL info saved in record
  • Basic job information on status of processing relayed to user
• Masterfile management configurable in Avalon (move, delete etc.)
• Files uploaded into Avalon have streaming derivatives created in local and cloud environments (AWS)
• Player can stream using cloudfront or wowza

Structural Metadata Editor (for r6)

• Get sign off from stakeholders
• Refine mockups
• Implement structural editor in code, based on mockups and any other design/requirements documents
  

Player Work/ IIIF Manifest work

• Store caption files and display them on the player
  • Deciding how this information will be stored in the manifest—reference to a captions file (inline comes later)
• Storing structural metadata XML and generating that as part of the IIIF manifest
• Finalizing how that structure is represented in the manifest

6.4.3

• Cut bug fix from current 6.x branch

0.4

The goal of this cycle is to build out critical feature endpoints. We will initially focus on building out playlist endpoints as a decoupled service (create, read, update, delete). The service will return an IIIF compliant manifest that can be consumed by Avalon's Standalone Player. The team will also work on an initial POC of our batch ingestion. The team will also take an initial pass at UI/UX designs for Avalon on Hyrax.

Core Feature work

• Re-evaluating IIIF 3 manifest generation as the spec nears completion
• Expanded streaming server support

Batch Ingest

• Possible Hyrax import gem (or generic base with per-app modifications)
• Developing in collaboration with WGBH/AVP using Donut work
• Ensure batch ingest spreadsheet and documentation are updated

UI/UX work - mockups / Initial design work

• Create designs for Home/list/item and playlist pages
• Structural metadata rendering
• Avalon look and feel defined, with mockups for evaluation
• Start of style guide
• Wireframes generated
• Hi-fidelity (HTML) mockups?

Critical Feature work

• Playlist Endpoint (No UI)Can create a playlist
  • Can create an item in playlist with a stop / start
  • Can read a playlist and playlist items
• Playlists have an endpoint that returns IIIF manifest(s)
• Standalone player can play playlist manifest (basic functionality)
• Avalon needs

Strategy Development

• Ingest API
• Player API