Internal Release Notes – Q3 : 24.38.0 OpenTV Video Platform - DRAFT version

Release summary 

This release…  

[4iG] Auto assign device class to device and device and session limits based on device class

Product

This feature provides the capability to automatically assign a class to a device, based on entities provided at device creation time. This is to then enable more granular management of such classes of devices, such as being able to restrict the number of active devices based on their class. OPF provides support for limiting the number of devices that can be added to an account, and the number of concurrent streams that are allowed.

The purpose of this feature is to extend such support so that groupings of devices can have bespoke limits, specifically for the following categories of devices, such as:

• Big screen (TVs, STBs, TV Key Devices, etc.)

• Trusted open devices

• Untrusted open devices

• Fully-managed devices

[StarHub] User Recordings solution for recordings of an event that is deleted due to switching models

Product

This feature ensures that the existing event recording functionality is not impacted when a customer switches from the technical-based model to the editorial-based model.

Currently most of the customers in production are using PURE EDITORIAL MODEL. However following customers are yet to be migrated to Pure Editorial Model:

• Foxtel (Moved to Q2 as E-41855 moved out to Q2 PI)

• Starhub

• EKT (ON HOLD)

• Purpose of this feature is to ensure the above customers can move to Pure Editorial Model without causing any impact to the existing functionality

Support toggle of session management based on device-group - 2024.Q3 release

Product

This feature enables Secure Session Manager (SSM) use to be disabled for a specific set of devices (e.g., managed STBs).

4iG has a requirement to avoid the use of SSM for managed STBs. (E-42951).

The purpose of this feature is to productize this as part of the device-group streaming limits implemented as part of E-37795. 

The feature will support the ability, via removal of the sessionControl block in the contentAuthZ token, to:

• Toggle SSM usage for a specific set of devices

• Toggle SSM usage for a set of accounts (via selection of the relevant streaming profile)

[HOT] Add identifier info to products

Product

This feature adds subscription product IDs together with the product names in the OpCon live channels / subscription screen.

This simplifies product management for customers that use IDs to reference their products.

HOT use IDs to reference their products, so this will make management simpler.

[HOT] Better management of JSON

Product

HOT extensively uses JSON, specifically with the node PrivateMetadata and RecommendationQuery fields.  HOT would like to manage these properties within OpCon without understanding JSON.

[ENTEL] TiVO Metadata Ingest with Chile & Peru Ratings Definition

Product

As part of ENTEL project, EPG metadata will be from TIVO provided in TVA format. TIVO APIs will be used to pull the metadata. Requires that TIVO supplied ratings are split into both Chile and Peru rating schemes where applicable.

[ENTEL] In Home Detection - Q3

Product

This feature ensures that a device (STB or Smart TV) can only be used at the subscriber’s home address by associating the MAC address of the FTTH device with the subscriber’s account.

When a device (STB or SmartTV) is connected via ENTEL FTTH, ENTEL want that to ensure that the device is only connected to the "home" address of the subscriber to which the device is provisioned. By tracking the MAC address of the FTTH CPE device against the account. And using this information to restrict access to the service if the device attempts to access the service with a different CPE MAC address than the one provisioned to it.

[ENTEL] IN/OUT Home & Device Type

Product

IN/OUT Home – The feature shall be supported on AndroidTV STB and SmartTVs only for FTTH User type

• In-home determined by MAC address provided by the client

• Comparison with HomeIP defined on the account 

• Enforcement flags on both the account profile and device profile 

[4iG] Granular control of session management

Product

This feature is to provide the capability to limit concurrent Session not just at an account-level, but with more granularity for specific classifications of devices. OPF provides support for limiting the number of concurrent sessions that can be streamed from an account. The purpose of this feature is to extend such support so that groupings of devices can have bespoke limits, specifically for the following categories of devices:

• Big Screen (TVs, STBs, TV Key Devices etc.)

• Trusted Open Devices – E.g. WV level 1

• Untrusted Open Devices – E.g. WV level 3

• Fully managed devices

4iG and Entel wish to be able to manage session concurrency based on classification of devices, in addition to the current support which is only at the account level, or restricted to unmanaged devices.

[4ig] Support for Didomi consent management platform

Product

This feature includes consent collection, storage, and applying consent details to activity collection and to recommendations. 

• Unique ID generation per account that can be shared with Didomi backend. 

• URL Builder options 

• UAV payload information

[ENTEL] Entel Geo-Targeting On/offnet Filtering

Product

This feature provides the ability to filter by account profile to allow both country and OTT/FTTH filtering and On/Off-Net filtering. 

[ENTEL] Dynamic CDN Selection (3SS Impact SRE Impact)

Product

This feature is to Load the matrix of CDN locations into a file, Create a file store  which can be accessed by the 3SS client, Upload CDN locations file and 3SS client application can request the file and build the URL locally. This will require.

• Get the playouturl as per normal flow

• Swap the first section of the URL for the correct cdn value obtained from the cdn file.

• Pass the new playout URL to the player.

[ENTEL] Country blocking

Product

This feature provides an additional option to geo-blocking to allow the operator to specify that the comparison is to be made using the location details on the account rather than the details returned by Digital Element. This is for geo-blocking only and is only applied at sign-on, not playout / content auth. 

[ENTEL] Content blackout headend (3SS Impact)

Product

This feature allows the operator to define blackout rules in OpCon that are based on connection type, user type, and device type.

New metadata fields allow the operator to flag which events are to be blacked out and the rule that applies to each one.

The client application is responsible for requesting a list of blackout events from MDS using a new endpoint and for blacking out the events so they cannot be viewed.

Operator can manage the blackout rules via Opcon or API.

Event Blackout. Additional rules for blocking per User Type (FTTH_OTT), Device Type (Mobile, SmartTV, AndroidTV) and Network Type (Wifi, Ethernet, Mobile).

Metadata rules per service: Live, StartOver, Catchup.

Geo filtering – inherit geo-filtering properties from channel to programmes/CU contents

Product

This feature improves geo-filtering by making STCU content inherit the geo-filtering data from the channel in the same way that programmes (events) already do.

OPF dont inherit the geo filtering information set at the channel level to STCU / LTCU content. This feature is an improvement to have STCU content inherit geofiltering data from channels as programmes currently do.

[4iG] Messaging headend integration – Smart TVs with Tizen and WebOS

Product

This feature introduces support in OpenTV Video Platform for AWS IOT Core for Client messaging. This is being provided as some devices, particularly SmartTVs based on Tizen and WebOS, cannot use the existing Firebase integration for message delivery. The use of AWS IOT Core provides a mechanism for such devices while leaving existing Firebase supported devices as-is.

[4iG] Automatic device rotation

Product

Automatic device rotation provides the operator with an ability to allow accounts to self provision a new device by automatically removing an existing one, if the maximum limit has been reached.   Rules can be utilised which means specific devices, or categories of devices can be targeted. 

For example an operator may allow an account to add a new iPhone by removing one that already exists, may support unlimited TVs and may restrict rotation of tablet devices.

A/B Testing Productization

Product

This feature is only applicable through UIC. Configure UIC for different test for different template under different group A or B.

Can create new A/B test through content builder api.

RAILS Search

Product

This feature will enable backend configuration support for search templates within RAILS Builder, removing the need for apps to have hard coded behaviour. This enhancement will also act as the foundation for future search engine integrations (such as the XRM personalized search).

Google Ad Manager Integration E2E

Product

This feature covers the different aspects of google ad manager integration which are to be supported on the OPF side. The support is expected to be on the following items.  

• Ingest the timeOffsets and the ability to turn ads on and off. [ flowing parameters ingested into MDS, CDVR and all variants of live - STCU, StartOver, LTCU )

• OpCon changes required for UI parameters. 

• Consent filtering at DWH and UAV not to store the consentBitMask

Badging Entitlements in Rails/Content Builder responses

Product

Client requests for Rails content shall have an option to view the entitlement state of contents with respect to the Client account caller in Content Builder responses. The core requirement is to mark Content items presented to a Client user with indication whether Content is entitled for playout or not.

Rails entitlement badging for type-related cases (Live, VOD)

Product

This is an extension from the E-34048 Entitlement Badging feature to specify new Rails cases that take advantage of badging. Ensures the wew type-related Rails cases return content items and their entitlement badging status for a Client, according to the Rails type specified.

Profile Age Rating Filter Override

Product

This feature is to add an option to override/ignore the age rating filter on MDS queries as requested by 3SS / 4iG project. Support for a new parameter in the request /btv/services?all_ages=true.

True or False if true do not filter the response object based on the profile age rating. The client can provide a parameter in the request to skip filtering based on profile age rating.

Rails Favourite Channels

Product

Rails Builder Support for

• Recomendations favourite channels context - ignore this line, part of a separate feature 

• Rail sections to be set to favourite channels 

• Rails builder option to set a Rail section to be driven by favourites, 

  • The favourites to be either : 

  • Channel

  • Content 

• Response object to contain channel and current event data 

  • Only the current live event 

• A new flag to indicate to the client per Rail section if the event image or channel logo should be displayed

Channel Recommendations

Product

Feature to support channel recommendations from Ncanto in RAILS and Reco Facade

OPCON (UIC) Push Messaging UI

Product

This feature is to support a new OpCon section, based on UIC, that can control the building and distribution of messages to subscriber devices. OPF DMM will be used as the reference for topic/queue availability. This will offer an operator the following capabilities:

1. A dedicated UI section in OpCon (UIC) providing a publication centre for general messaging

2. This new centre references DMM in order to discover and target messages on-demand towards:

   1. Current topics defined in the deployment

   2. Current individual devices registered for messaging the deployment

   3. All current devices registered for a particular Account user

   4. New topics defined by the operator

3. Messages sent are traceable via DWH reporting / analytics

4. Messages sent can be of a number of forms, including:

   1. Plain Text

   2. HTML with images

   3. HTML with deeplinks to application content

5. There should be an ability broadly to edit a message sent, via some recall/republish mechanism

Product Filter (Entel)

Product

Entel offers different products to customers based on the customer account profile (country). We do not have an MDS or CDF endpoint that will apply a filter based on the account profile. 

This feature is having field on the product to indicate which profile it is targeted at Management of the field in OpCon / UIC. 

[OPF] Upgrade Kubernetes to 1.30 and Kubernetes system components

Internal

This feature is to upgrade all Kubernetes system components to the latest possible release compatible with k8s 1.30. There is a risk to have in production, Kubernetes and/or other components no longer supported by AWS & need to keep up with the Kubernetes and AWS EKS release calendar.

[OPF] Upgrade Atlas MongoDB 5.0 to 6.0 on 23.Q4 Baseline

Internal

Need to do MongoDB upgrade based on various factors like bugfixes, taking advantage of new features and most important is to be in line with the official Database Release Support. Mongo DB 5.0  is EOL by Oct-2024. This feature is to upgrade MongoDB Atlas to 6.0.

Productisation of Metadata API for metadata vendor self service

Internal

This feature is to update the metadata section of the docs portal to enable third parties without significant Arch support. This feature helps to

(1) Provide meaningful examples for EPG, VOD, Deeplinks

(2) Provide new well structured "one point of entry" documented guide without duplication 

Zapping time: Reduce platform calls (Widevine only)

Internal

This feature provides a single interface to allow OTT player clients to obtain a DRM license and teardown and establish SSM sessions in a single API call.
Note:  this is Widevine DRM clients only. 

Support for Sports Data in the Rails (CB) Response

Internal

This feature is to get sports data from the sports data service based on new sports id to be defined.  This feature will modify the process of gathering metadata for a populated RAIL or Template to make a call to SDSv2, this will allow the service transparently to deliver the JSON structure to the client received from SDS to be complete removing the need for the client to make multiple requests.

[OPF][Security][RR] Manage peripheral endpoints access security through unique and identifiable credentials

Internal

Bastion and critical servers are directly accessible using SSH keys. These accesses are managed independently of the roles associated to the SSO users. The solution will be based on a shared VPC (the current bastion VPC) without using any host, only relying on private connection through endpoint and routing.

[OPF][Security][RR] Security incident handling: patch management

Internal

This feature is to handle the urgent patch to deploy on a large number of instances. In case of security vulnerability, time is key and we need to be able to deploy a patch in a quick and secure way.

[SIT] OPF Regression Test against IPV6 with IPv4 translation in CloudFlare

Internal

This feature is to execute the automation regression test suite related to IPV6.

Operational Efficiency: DIP -> CIM file transfer

Internal

This feature is to support the transfer of XML files from DIP to CIM avoiding the use of sftp between the two modules.

[OPF] [Cost reduction] Move Dbtools EC2 to MAIN VPC (to reduce data transfer and remove Atlas endpoint)

Internal

Target of the feature is to move DBTools EC2 deployment from ADMIN VPC to MAIN VPC. This is to avoid the data transfer cost (due to DB backup) between DATA VPC and ADMIN VPC and to avoid the need of additional endpoint for DBTools to reach Atlas.

MDS Next Gen - Metamorph: btv/services completion

Internal

This feature is to complete the remaining work of MDS  - Metamorph BTV/Services. Perform regression tests by turning on metamorph as the backend for /vod/nodes and /btv/services by default.

[Independent Services] CDS Service independent deployment + KT

Internal

This feature is for the CDS DevOps Team to handle the deployment independently.

• Dedicated DVM Jenkins deployment pipeline CDS services

• OPF deployment pipeline updated to integrate deployment of CDS services as independent step

[OPF] [Cost reduction] Replace Bastion AWS Transit Gateways

Internal

This feature is to replace Bastion TGWs by VPC peering's. Taking advantage of AWS Private Link, a single Bastion VPC can be deployed per region on a dedicated account to reduce the overhead, cost and dependencies of creating this stack multiple times on every account and region.

[OPF] [Cost reduction] Remove DB Cluster Redundancy on Staging Environments

Internal

The goal of the feature is to determine systematic way  to downscale  all the DB clusters to one node for each DB and also determine the impacts of running with One node most of the time.

[OPF] Integrate the NOM(Neo4j Ops Manager) with Neo4j DB

Internal

Neo4j Ops Manager (NOM)  is a UI-based tool that enables a DBA (or any administrator) to monitor, administer, and operate all of the Neo4j DBMSs in a Platform. This feature is to get deep insights on what is happening wrong with the Neo4j database or with any specific queries based on Grafana Dashboards.

[CPM Evolution] Sending of entity relationship change in RMQ to improve MDS performance

Internal

Currently CPM is not sending the notification if there are any changes in the entity relationship. The purpose of this feature is to enhance CPM so that it will start to send the notifications to RMQ whenever there is any change in the entity relationship.

Scope Calc Removal - Behavior Validation

Internal

Feature to validate the behaviour is as expected when deployed in environments where scope calculation is on and is then turned off.

Scope Calc - Purge API Updates

Internal

The purpose of this feature is to make changes in the PURGE API component.

OpCon - Presentation of Custom Field Groups

Internal

Support for custom fields exists against most models within CPM, and these fields can be configured for display within OpCon. It is often the case that custom fields will be related, and the purpose of this feature is to display associated custom fields together within OpCon for a better user experience.

[Content Processing Business Service] Automation of Job Generator service related test cases

Internal

CWM job generation is moved to new component called JGS (Job Generation Service). This feature is to improve the Test coverage and test Functional scenarios.

[CPM Evolution] Removal of CPM specific business rules

Internal

As part of CPM evolution we have removed STCU rules from BRE and LTCU rules from BRE in earlier releases.

This feature is to remove rules that are specific to CPM.

[4iG] Optimized Series Recordings Status API

Internal

4iG requires that the user can manage a recording (individual & series) out of the EPG using the REC button on the remote (the sequence of presses defines the action the STB has to perform). This is why 3SS would like to retrieve the seriesStatus for all recorded series in one call. This feature is to handle this request.

[4iG] Disable use of SSM for Gen2 STBs - 2023.Q4 release ONLY

Internal

The 4iG solution requires a zapping time equivalent to its existing Kaltura solution with a reference time of 1.09s. The current Nagra OTT zapping time is >2.5s and it is understood that the session management aspect of this time is 0.4s. The existing OPF solution supports the configuration of concurrent session limits at various granularities but does not support disabling session control.

 This feature provides the ability to avoid SSM for Gen2 STBs on the 4iG target release (23.Q4).

Compatibility matrix

OPF	Q3 : 24.38.STD0
DWH (24 Q3)
SSP (24 Q3

List of new issues

The following issues are newly opened in this OPF3_24.xxSTD0 release.

List of known issues

The following issues are still open (not resolved) in this OPF3_24.xxSTD0 release.

List of resolved issues

The following are the Critical & High severity issues resolved as part of the OPF3 (24.xx STD0) release.

Deprecated APIs