how scala works 1

7/31/2019 How Scala Works 1

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Whitepaper: How Scala Works

Introduction

In a world f ull of TiVos, where viewers get a fiendish pleasure out of zapping commercials at every

chance, i t 's not the same old game for Madison Avenue anymore. The fragmentation of mass media is

forcing advert isers to chase an ever-diminishing sli ce of what once was a pretty simple mass market .

The rules have now changed. A recent study showed that TiVo users skip 95.7% of all fast food

commercials. How does the average brand manager t hen reach his audience? And among the myriad of

choices for advert ising, how can you know that you are gett ing a decent ROI? How can you guarantee

your target audience is listening?

These reali t ies in 2007 are forcing everyone to "think outside t he house". Fort unately, there is a way to

reach your audience t hat i s exploding today. It 's called Dynamic Digital Signage and Scala is the

recognized leader in the indust ry.

The good news is that deploying a digit al signage network is no longer rocket science!

To take the mystery out of Digital Signage Networks this paper wi ll address the quest ion posed to Scala

personnel almost everyday How Does Scala Work?

About Scala, Inc.

Driving more than 300,000 screens worldwide, Scala is a leading global provider of digital signage and

advert ising management solut ions. Scala is the world s fir st connected signage company, off ering the

leading platform for content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks and the

fi rst unified platf orm for advert ising management of both t radit ional and digital signage networks. The

company's digital signage customers include Rabobank, IKEA, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore,

Warner Brot hers, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, Repsol, NorgesGruppen and thousands more. Advert ising

management customers include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor and Magic Media, among others.

Scala is headquartered near Philadelphia, USA, and has subsidiaries in Canada, The Netherlands,

France, Norway and Japan, as well as more t han 450 part ners in more than 60 countr ies. More

informat ion is available at www.scala.com.

Scala, Inc.350 Eaglevi ew Blvd.Suite 150Ext on, PA 19341+1 610-363-3350

www.scala.com


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Overview

This paper wil l discuss the tools and technology available from the industry l eading Scala soft ware suit ethat del ivers an end-to-end soft ware solut ion for your f ocused message to reach your audience at theright place at the right t ime.

Chart 1: Scala Digit al Signage Network Confi guration

Scala s f ield proven Scala soft ware suit e consists of f our components:

Scala Designer: Scala Designer is a truly unique and diverse application that allows you tocreate stunning and imaginative mult imedia product ions - ut il izing mot ion, color, graphics, textanimation, sound design and special ef fects - while creatively highlight ing the message youwant to emphasize.

Alt hough it can be used wit h st il l images, the real purpose of Designer is to create a richenvironment of sounds and images that f low l ike a professional video eff ectively responding tooutside input. In Designer you can even create templates for your network which can later bepopulated via a web-based form by anyone wit h an internet connected computer.

Scala Cont ent Manager : Scala Content Manager i s a breakthrough in media broadcastdistr ibut ion, scheduling and management . Uti li zing an intuit ive, Internet-based interface, Scalascripts and media are effectively organized, scheduled, delivered and updated. Additionally,networks and players are fully managed and monitored, thereby keeping media messages upand running wit h ease. Manage your digit al signage content wit h plan-based contentmanagement, planning, and scheduling tools from any Internet connection in t he world.


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Scala Player: Managed entirely t hrough the Content Manager, Player provides stable rel iablemult imedia 24/ 7/ 365 playback for virt ually any environment. Content can be full y dynamic anddriven by data (e.g. POS databases) at remote playback locations.

Scala EX Modules: Scala EX Modules are available for bot h Designer and Content Manager. EXModules for Designer facilitate full control of components like TV Tuner Cards, external videoswit chers, weather stations, scanners, etc. EX Modules for Content Manager provide addit ional

tools to enhance your digit al signage network. For example, the Broadcast Server EX Moduleassists in the distribution of content from the Content Manager to the Player when traditionalmethods are not an option. Addit ional EX Modules include the Playback Audit EX Modules toreport on the content played and the Template Composer EX Module, which al lows anyone toenter text int o a preset template from a web-based form. No Graphic Designer needed.

Due to the dynamic nature of playback, syndicated national news feeds (data feeds) are also possible.Other key features include verification of ad plays and open architecture.

Scala is able to assist clients in every phase of the deployment, operation and content creationmanagement of their digital signage networks through its Services division.

Scala DesignerScala Designer is the fastest, most cost-effective solution for creating truly dynamic content for digitalsignage. You can author professional media in an at tention-grabbing environment f or vir tually any typeof display by incorporat ing your existing media f il es int o a Scala script . Designer gives you morecreative control of your content with flexibility and real-time edits not offered by video production.While your Scala network does not require that your content come from Scala Designer, it is the bestway to create rich, professional content that can be changed quickly and easily without sacrificing anyattention-grabbing appeal.


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Authoring

Scala Designer makes it possibl e for you to use your PC to create product ions that use special effectsmovement, color, graphics, animation, soundto highlight text and ill ust rate the points you want t oemphasize.

Alt hough it can be used wit h st il l images, the real purpose of Scala Designer is to create dynamicproduct ionssequences of sounds and images that f low like a professional video and can respond tooutside input .

Scala Designer enables you to do this wit h vir tuall y any type of product ion, regardless of yourbackground or level of experience. Whether you are an independent, one-person mult imedia producerand need these facil it ies only occasionally, or have an ent ire department of media professionals wit h adaily roster of proj ects, you can use Scala Designer to make your work more l ively and informat ive.

For tasks that range from designing product advertisements for digital signage that run continuously instorefronts, to creating engaging business presentations for corporate communications; from creatinginformational programming for hotels, universities, airports, or offices, to running a communityinformation channel for a cable television supplier, Scala Designer is the ideal tool.

Scri pt sIn Scala Designer, your production is defined by a script. A script in Scala Designer is a file thatspecifies a series of eventsand their timing. The events in a script are the individual image files, soundfiles, text lines, and other items that appear in the final production. The events in a script contain allthe sett ings and opt ions that describe how and when things happen in the final production.

However, you don t have to work wi th a Scala Designer script the way a programmer works - t hrough aseries of t ext commands. You may wri te and edit the script enti rely through the Scala graphical userint erf ace, HumanTouch. HumanTouch shows you the script as one or more pagesof information, eachof which can be created or designed graphically and arranged in any order you choose.

Full Screen and Windowed Operat ion

Scala Designer is designed to be used both in a windowed operat ion whi le authoring, and as a ful l-screen previewer during playback.

In the windowed operation, you can resize the Scala Designer window as desired, using familiar drag-and- drop t echniques to add graphics and other f il es to a script . The flexible user interface designadapts itself to different window sizes and shapes providing maximum versatility.

When playing back in full screen mode, Scala Designer allows you to specify screen resolution, colordepth, and refresh rate f or optimal mult imedia performance and adaptabil it y.

File ManagementThe Scala Designer File dialog gives you access to all the drives, folders and files normally availablefrom your PC. It is designed to give you direct access to the fi les you need most as you work in ScalaDesigner.

In Scala Designer, the files used in a script may be background images, sound effects, animations orgraphics such as cl ip-art images, drawings or symbols, even other script s. Many fi les come wit h ScalaDesigner but you can use files from other sources, for example a library of clip art on a CD-ROM. As youexpand the amount of work you do in Scala Designer, many fi les you use, such as script f il es, wil l beyour own.


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File TypesThe most common fi le-t ype extensions used in Scala Designer are shown in t he table below.

Ext ension File Type.SCA Scr ipt.SCB Published script

.BTN Predefined butt on or button preset.BMP, .GIF, .JPG, .WMF,

.PCX, .PNG, .TIF, etc.Background, drawing, clip, or othergraphic file

.WAV, .MP3 Sound sample (digit al audio)

.MID MIDI f ile

.GIF Animation

.AVI, .MOV, .MPG Movie (digital video)

Linked Cont entThe concept of linked content is significant for those creating scripts in an environment that includespublishing to a Scala Network.

Linked fi les are not a special t ype of f ile. Any type of content f ilescript , image, digital video, text,etc.can be a linked f il e. A fi le becomes a link by being designated as such. Designating fil es as links isa task normally overseen by someone responsible for administrating the distr ibut ion of publishedscripts to Scala Players through Scala Content Manager.

The purpose of linked files is to allow the authoring of scripts that include content that needs to beupdated from a source external to the Scala Designer publishing process. A linked f il e is one that, forauthoring purposes, functions as a placeholder for a file of the same type that is periodically updatedby a means outside of the script publishing process.

A script author uses li nked fi les in exact ly the same way as any other content f il e, and they behave inexact ly t he same way in playback. The only di fference in t he context of Scala Designer comes duringthe Publish to Scala Network process. The linked files are not transmitted as part of the script whenContent Manager sends the script to it s Playersonly a reference to the fi le name is included in t hescript.

Cust omizing Scala DesignerScala Designer all ows you to customize your working environment t o suit your hardware setup and yourpersonal preferences. You can adjust the appearance of t he Scala Designer user i nterface, set optionsto improve perf ormance, choose the time and date format for your nat ional region, and configure ScalaDesigner t o recognize new devices you have added t o your system. Most of the options that controlthings that you can customize in Scala Designer are in t he Opt ionsdialog that you reach from the Toolsdrop-down on the Mainmenu.


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Scala Cont ent Manager

Introduction

Managing your digital signage content can be challenging, but with the state-of-the-art contentmanagement, planning and scheduling tools included in Scala Content Manager, management andcontrol of your network is both improved and simplified - reducing the resources required to controland maintain your network. New template support - plan-based content dist ribut ion, t imetables, andplaylists - keep you in control of your network from wherever you are in t he world, f rom any internet -connected computer.

Scala Content Manager is a server-based appli cation t hat schedules and manages the t ransmissions ofmultimedia content to hundreds, even thousands of digital signage displays from any internet-connected computer. Advertising, news, training or virtually any other visual communication can beeasil y dist ributed to Scala Players via any standard Windows-based network. Content created usingScala Designer, Template Composer, or indust ry standard applicat ions can either be routed t o theint ended Scala Player automat icall y or per your plan.


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System Requir ementsThe following chart defines the minimum requirements for Content Manager servers.

Example ConfigurationsThis section provides some configurat ion examples for dif ferent physical network/ playerconfigurat ions. These are t he most common combinations of networks and players current ly used byour customers.

Scala Designer and Scala Content Manager on t he same computer, Scala Player(s) are located onseparate computer(s):

Scala Designer publishes directly to the local installation of Scala Content Manager using the Content Manager Direct opt ion

Scala Content Manager is configured to store t he player plans in the web folder (ContentManager Direct option).

Scala Player(s) ret rieve their plans using the Content Manager Direct option.Scala Designer, Scala Content Manager, and Scala Player are on separate computers:

Scala Designer publ ishes direct ly to Scala Content Manager using the Content Manager Direct option

Scala Content Manager is configured to store t he player plans in the web folder (ContentManager Direct option).

Scala Player(s) ret rieve their plans using the Content Manager Direct option.Within these basic configurations, you can use different configuration options. For example:


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Instead of publ ishing from Scala Designer direct ly to Scala Content Manager, you could publishto a shared folder or FTP sit e (f rom which both Designer and Content Manager have access).You could t hen setup a Publish location in Content Manager t hat would reference that locat ion.Content Manager would then poll the location for changes based on the interval t hat has beenconfigured.

Instead of Players retrieving the plan fil e directly f rom Content Manager, Content Managercould deliver the plan file directly to the player (using the Player Direct FTP option). To dothis, in Content Manager change the deli very t ype to Player Direct FTP, and enter a password.Then on the player, change the delivery t ype to Player-Direct FTP and enter t he same passwordyou used in Content Manager. Note that t he FTP password must match in both configurations!

Scala Content Manager Key Feat uresTemplates Data dr iven content templates will allow even your least design savvy employee t o creategreat looking displays. Your design team can create templates in Scala Designer, using variable datafields that authorized users can later populate and preview through the all-new Scala Content Manager5 interface. Now, creating new content, or an entire channel, is easier and faster than ever. Thisfeature is sold separat ely. Please contact your Scala Cert if ied Part ner or Scala Channel Manager formore information on availabil it y and pricing.

Plan-based Content Distribution Based on your channel plan/ schedule that is easil y definedthrough the Scala Content Manager graphical interface, content is now automatically distributed to alldesignated points of playback , saving you time and resources.

Timetables Define one-time or recurr ing t ime slot s that employ variable recurrence patt erns andstart / end dates. As you specify playlists for each time slot , you may automatically view it graphicallyin t he new Scala Content Manager. Wit h t his new graphical, web based, scheduling interface,scheduling your content couldn t be easier.

Playlists If your content is composed most ly of videos, f lash, or static images -- you can create yourplaylists using the web-based int erf ace in the new Scala Content Manager. Of course, Scala Designerst il l of fers a signif icant and proven advantage for any digit al signage deployment by allowing thecreation of data-driven templates and other truly dynamic digital signage messaging in less time and ata lower cost ; while allowing you to leverage your exist ing media assets.

Cutting Edge Content - Supports both passive and interactive digital signs or kiosks. New 3D rendering& playback engine for improved perf ormance and visual qualit y. Auto Scale content to any resolut ion(independent of playlists/ scripts). Flexible data integrat ion & user customization using VBScript ,JavaScript or Python

Multi-channel Support Run two enti rely separate channels from a single player, immediatelyreducing your hardware, OS li censing, and administrat ion costs.

Multiple Independent Zones Easil y create mult iple zones wit h each zone displaying independentcontent.

Player Control - Group Players by crit eria (geography, demographics, etc.) Create & plan content channels & assign to one or more players or group of players.

Network Control - Network monit oring, including Scala Player health status, etc. Remote softwareupdates. Central management of Scala Player and optional features li censes. New powerful browser-based interface for creating & managing Playl ists


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Bett er Compati bilit y - Scala Content Manager i s compatibl e with proxies / ACNS and several databasestruct ures including: MySQL, PostgresSQL. Addit ional database support will ensue.

Database Backend Choose the server and database that works best in your environment.

Smart Content Delivery Content can be delivered over HTTP/ HTTPS and firewall t ransversal is

great ly improved, as are other perceived IT securit y issues. Terrest rial & Satel li te (mult icast ) IP-basedcommunication carriers are supported.

Maintenance Scheduling Regular hardware maintenance can be added to the plan-based scheduler inthe new Scala Content Manager. Once entered, maintenance requi rements can be executed atspecif ied t imes, wit h minimal disrupt ion to your digital signage network.

Roles and Workf lows Role f unctionali ty all ows users/ groups to be assigned dif ferent access rights forimproved security and workflow.

New User Interface Navigate t he Scala platf orm f aster and easier wit h a more intuit ive and f riendlyuser interface. The new Scala user interface makes extensive use of context menus, rich web-interfaces with drag and drop features, and more.

Transmission Server Module - Server-side component that manages most communicat ions betweenScala Player and the central servers. It is installed as a service on the same system as Scala ContentManager, and runs in t he background.

Server Support Module - Server-side support component which generates thumbnail s for display withinthe Content Manager. It is installed as a service on the same system as Scala Content Manager, andruns in the background.

The Scala Content Manager User InterfaceThe design and layout of t he interface is created to allow you to manage your project workf low in ast reamlined process working from top to bott om in the list of menu items. In the foll owing sectionswe wil l explore some of t he major it ems and follow the workf low process of set t ing up and generatinga plan to a Player.

The Content MenuThe Content menu is where you wi ll f ind your Published scripts and other media i tems. You may alsoadd messages and upload templates through the panels located in this menu.


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MediaThe Mediabutton opens the panel that reveals what media items you currently have in your library.When a large library is available, you can sort through the list by file name or simply the date it wasmodified.

Most of your media will be uploaded t o your l ibrary via published scripts from Scala Designer. When youopen Content Manager and view Media, you will see the Scala Scripts, video cl ips and images.

This wil l open the Scala Content Manager File Uploader. You can select any fi les you wish to upload.This action will open a Windows file dialog where you can easily navigate to the location on your harddrive and select the file(s) you wish to upload.

SearchingIf you have an extensive library of accumulated media, channels and players, having the ability tosearch for something specific instead of scrolling through a list in hopes of finding what you are lookingfor, can be very helpful.

Scala Content Manager contains a search function in all of the major category panels for Media,Messages, Templates, Playlists and Players. You can use the Searchcriteria to define the kind of itemyou choose, or you may enter the search term in t he space provided and click the arrow on the right to

reveal the result s in t he list panel.

Media Cat egoriesCategoriesare labels that can be created and assigned to media it ems, t emplates, messages andplayli sts. These labels may also be used to help organize and search for it ems that match your desiredcategory. To create and assign categories, f irst select a media it em to view it s correspondingProperties. To furt her define your media organizat ion, you may also create nested sub-categories.


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Media MetadataMetadata are tags that can contain specif ic values for each it em. Media it ems as well as messages,channels and players may contain metadata that is used to control playback based on crit eria (e.g.:metadata must equal a specif ied value) or match (t wo it ems must have matching values for eachmetadata tag).

Metadata has many uses. Metadata on media and messages is used when making a smart playlist . Mediawit h metadata matching your cr it eria wil l automat ically be added to t he playlist . For instance, you canadd all media with the "xyz brand" so that any new ads will automatically appear in the playlist withouthaving to add them manuall y.

Metadata can be on channels to put rest rict ions on which channels can be sent to which players. If yout ry t o assign a channel t o a player and their metadata does not match, you wil l receive a warning pop-up in Content Manager. This is used to prevent accidentally sending a channel wit h the wrong aspectratio to a player.

Metadata on players may also be used in playlists. When making a playli st , you can add criteria to anitem (media, message or sub-playlist) and the item will only play if it matches the player's metadata.You can have several different "language" metadata fields applied to scripts or media items in yourplayli st , and use that metadata to route the correct corresponding languages to the assigned players.

And a programmer using VBScript , JavaScript or Python can access a player's metadata for databasequeries or t o show the metadata on screen as a variable.

Templat es and MessagesYou can create and edit messages that can be added to the playl ists. A message uses a templat e that isa Scala script made wit h Scala Designer, allowing the user t o fi ll in t ext or replace images.

Messages have to be approved before they can appear on a player. If your user account does not have

permission t o approve messages, you can select the Request approval checkbox t o request another userin order for it to be approved. Users with approval permission may view messages awaiting approvaland accept or rej ect them as desired.

The Planning MenuThe Planning menu is where you will create, manage and schedule multiple playlists and channels toyour players. Content Manager wi ll distr ibute the Channel information as well as the Schedule, Playli stsand Content to the Scala Players.


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The simple content f low map shown below demonstrates how the process carries information from theDesigner-publi shed media to the Player.

The flow of media content through Scala Content Manager is a simple and intuit ive process. Media(videos, images and Scala Scripts) are published from Scala Designer or select ed inside ContentManager and sequenced in a Playlist . Once a Playlist is created, it is assigned and scheduled t o a Framein a Channel which t hen plays on a Scala Player, or series of Players.


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PlaylistsIf you have several playl ists in your l ibrary, you may li st them in order by Name or Modif ied date usingthe Arrange by:button at the top of the panel.

Sub-Playl ist sSub-Playl ists are nested inside of each other, so you can create several smaller playlists that canfunction independent ly, or grouped together inside a larger, master playl ist. When a Playl ist is open,you can add any other playlist in your library as a sub-playlist.

Smar t Playl ist sA Smart Playlist wi ll allow you to set condit ions that fi lt er the desired media that wi ll be added to theplaylist . You may also specif y transit ions between those it ems; much as you would in a Scala Designerscript. It is also possible to set the duration for each on-screen media item.

ChannelsCreat ing a channel i s required to send a playli st (s) to one or more players. Playl ists contain the mediaand scripts, and the channel determines the schedule and screen layout in which the playlists wil loccur. Addit ionally, you can have more t han one player and more t han one channel. There are severalpreset options for display types, as well as Framesets that divide the screen into segments; each ofthese are capable of playing a different playlist.


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Frameset Templat esScala Content Manager comes with several preset Templates for Channel Framesets. These arecommonly used configurat ions that include a large select ion of display sizes and resolut ions.

The preset templates that are provided are a great starting point; however, we have also includedseveral customizable options to complement your creativity.

SchedulesSchedules can be applied to each frame of a channel to define which playlist will play for a given time

or date.


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You can create a new schedule by click-dragging out a rectangular select ion in the calendar grid, tocover the days and times of t he playlist you wish to schedule.

The Network MenuThe Network menu is where you will define the players where your playlists will be displayed.

Additionally, this is where plans are generated (either manually or automatically) that will move thescheduled playlists and media to the player locations; as well as monitor the network activities and thehealt h/ status of the players on your network.

PlayersOnce you have created channels in Content Manager, you may then create Players to display them.When you create players in Content Manager, they must also be configured on the player computer sside to be able to communicate with the Content Manager.


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Publish Locat ionsScala Content Manager provides you the abil it y to automat icall y ingest new content by creating aremote publish location.

Plan Set t ings/Generat e PlanTo send your schedule to the player, you will need to generate a plan. The player will look for newplans to be generated on a predetermined schedule. The player will then download the appropriatemedia and script f il es it needs from the server. If media fi les have not been changed, but only a scriptchange was needed, then the player will only download the new script file.

Network Monitoring, Maintenance and SettingsCreat ing channels and players, organizing and scheduling your media is only t he beginning of whatScala Content Manager can do. You also have the unique ability to monitor your network, server andplayer(s). Addit ionally, Scala Content Manager provides extensive securi ty and maintenance features.


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Player Healt hOnce you have a Player configured and running a scheduled plan, you will be able to monitor theplayer s healt h and act ivi ty through Scala Content Manager. You can conf igure the Player t o send a heartbeat at predetermined intervals so the system will recognize that it is st il l operat ingefficiently.

If the player does not send a heartbeat signal at a predetermined t ime, an opt ional email can be sentto one or more users. At t his point , you have an option to create a new maintenance task, for instance,to reboot the player.

Maintenance JobsScala Content Manager allows you to create, edi t and delete Maintenance Jobs. Maintenance Jobsprovide a way for you to schedule maintenance tasks that t he player should perform at a giveninterval. Installing software updates, ret rieving fi les, and rebooting the computer are just a few of t hetasks that can be performed.

Updat ing Scala Player Sof t wareSoftware updates are an important step in keeping your players healthy and ensuring any new featuresare readily supported.

WorkgroupsScala Content Manager al lows you to create, edit and delete Workgroups. Workgroups are a way ofassociating one or more users to a particular group. Workgroups can then be used for associatingcontent and playlists to a specific group.


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Sub-Workgroups are created in much the same way as Workgroups are created. Allowing Sub-Workgroups provides additional control of your network.

Playback Audit Set t ingsYou can enable or disable playback audit log retrieval on your Scala Network. By checking the Enableplayback audit log retrieval option, player(s) will automatically upload their playback audit logseveryday. If you uncheck the option, the playback audit logs will not be uploaded automatically.

SMTP Set t ingsThe SMTP sett ings all ow you to configure Content Manager t o use a mail server to send you an emailwhen a problem occurs.

Net work Act ivi t yThe Network Activitytab gives you the abil it y to see exactl y what your player(s) have been recent lyuploading and downloading. The list currently contains a maximum of fifty (50) entries.

There are four columns that show this information. Icon This column reveals a visual representation of the action that has occurred. A few

samples are: Checked Plan, Heart beat, and New Plan Player This column lists the player name as defined in the Network > Players list. Time This column lists how recently the specif ic event occurred. Message This column lists a text based message of t he act ion that has occurred.

User Act ivit yScala Content Manager logs when any user has logged into the web interf ace. It also logs any changesthat may have occurred. Cli ck on Network > User Acti vit y to view the list. This list contains fourcolumns:

Username The username of the person. Type The type of act ion that was perf ormed. Object Reference Name/ Ident if ier The object that was changed. Time The time the act ion was performed.

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