Summary:
This article describes how to setup FTR Reporter Server hot standby 2 to 1 redundancy using a lower-cost mono-mix for backup.
More Information:
FTR recommends users deploy a backup server to ensure seamless recording in the event that a primary recorder fails.
Ideally the backup server will record the same channels as the primary server however that requires the backup server to have the same number of audio capture cards as the primary server. A lower cost alternative is to record only a single channel from each court for backup thus requiring less audio capture cards in the backup server.
Recording only one channel for backup also reduces the required size of the recordings folder partition to hold the backup recordings.
This article describes how to setup a single channel backup recording system for 16 8-channel courts. Solution is based on the use of an AudioScience ASI2416 card in each courtroom and ASI5316 cards in the servers.
Solution :
The ASI5316 is limited to receiving only eight bundles thus the 16 backup channels must be paired up to transmit eight CobraNet bundles to the backup server. To pair the backup channels, you must configure half your courts to aggregate the backup and transmit a CobraNet bundle containing that court’s mono-mix as well as the mono-mix from its paired court.
In the example below, court 16 is paired with court 15 such that court 15 transmits its mono-mix bundle (#115) to court 16 which aggregates with its own backup channel to transmit bundle #116 containing both mono-mix channels to the backup server.
Court 15 audio routing:
8-channel primary signal: Analog_In 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 1-8
Mono-mix backup signal: Analog 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 9
![Attached Image: CobraNetARC.png]()
Court 15 CobraNet configuration:
8-channel primary signal: transmit in bundle #15
Mono-mix backup signal: transmit in bundle #115
![Attached Image: CobraNetCrtConfig.png]()
Court 16 audio routing:
8-channel primary signal: Analog_In 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 1-8
Court 15 mono-mix backup: CobraNet_Ch33 -> CobraNet_Ch 9
Mono-mix backup signal: Analog 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 10
![Attached Image: CobraNetARC16.png]()
Court 16 CobraNet configuration:
8-channel primary signal: transmit in bundle #16
Aggregate backup signal: transmit in bundle #116
![Attached Image: CobraNet16CrtConfig.png]()
Set up primary server as usual.
Set up secondary server:
This article describes how to setup FTR Reporter Server hot standby 2 to 1 redundancy using a lower-cost mono-mix for backup.
More Information:
FTR recommends users deploy a backup server to ensure seamless recording in the event that a primary recorder fails.
Ideally the backup server will record the same channels as the primary server however that requires the backup server to have the same number of audio capture cards as the primary server. A lower cost alternative is to record only a single channel from each court for backup thus requiring less audio capture cards in the backup server.
Recording only one channel for backup also reduces the required size of the recordings folder partition to hold the backup recordings.
This article describes how to setup a single channel backup recording system for 16 8-channel courts. Solution is based on the use of an AudioScience ASI2416 card in each courtroom and ASI5316 cards in the servers.
Solution :
The ASI5316 is limited to receiving only eight bundles thus the 16 backup channels must be paired up to transmit eight CobraNet bundles to the backup server. To pair the backup channels, you must configure half your courts to aggregate the backup and transmit a CobraNet bundle containing that court’s mono-mix as well as the mono-mix from its paired court.
In the example below, court 16 is paired with court 15 such that court 15 transmits its mono-mix bundle (#115) to court 16 which aggregates with its own backup channel to transmit bundle #116 containing both mono-mix channels to the backup server.
Court 15 audio routing:
8-channel primary signal: Analog_In 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 1-8
Mono-mix backup signal: Analog 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 9
Court 15 CobraNet configuration:
8-channel primary signal: transmit in bundle #15
Mono-mix backup signal: transmit in bundle #115
Court 16 audio routing:
8-channel primary signal: Analog_In 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 1-8
Court 15 mono-mix backup: CobraNet_Ch33 -> CobraNet_Ch 9
Mono-mix backup signal: Analog 1-8 -> CobraNet_Ch 10
Court 16 CobraNet configuration:
8-channel primary signal: transmit in bundle #16
Aggregate backup signal: transmit in bundle #116
Set up primary server as usual.
Set up secondary server:
- Create a backup storage partition with the right size to hold the single channel backup recordings for the desired amount of time. See attached spreadsheet calculator.
- Install a single ASI5316 card
- Configure card to receive the backup bundles from the aggregating court of each pair of courts. Thus receive bundle 102 from Court 2 to CobraNet 1/2. Receive bundle 104 from Court 4 to CobraNet 3/4 and so on to bundle 116 from court 16 to outputs 15/16.
![Attached Image: CobraNetLast.png]()
- Install Reporter Server setting recordings folder to the backup storage partition.
- In configuration tool select single channel recording
- In configuration tool enable continuous recording
- In configuration tool set the court labels for each backup recorder
