One Big Step In Metadata Rationalization: Unique IDs

Metada has become an essential component of any audiovisual service, particularly in broadcast and digital distribution. Because of its broad usage, the volume of data has proliferated. Because of its many different applications, its diversity has grown tremendously. Nowadays, virtually all workflows involve some usage of metadata. Content creation, exchange or enrichment, audience measurement, or transactions have become near impossible without the use of at least some level of metadata. But in a world of many types, sources and formats, no automation is possible without the existence of a method to convert one format into another, or link one source to another. Unique Identifiers (also called IDs) are a recognized method of achieving these links and conversions. In this presentation, we will explain why IDs are the cornerstone of workflow automation for metadata. We will also detail the seven required technical characteristics of such IDs to guarantee universal usage. Unicity, extensibility and the ability to link data sources will be key metrics to justify these seven desired attributes. Additional architectural structures will be presented in order to explain how the technical characteristics translate into practical implementations. Finally, the primary methods of access to ID creation and ID look-up will be analyzed for workflows ranging from manual to fully automated.