Grants and Contracts Details
Description
In working with ORAU, our long term goal for the DCA development initiative is to expand the
UK-DCA lab to specific locales within the Tennessee Valley Corridor (TVC) where ORAU’s
member institutions reside. The first step in meeting this long term goal is to establish a test
satellite location at one partner institution (University of Alabama at Huntsville). Specific aims
include the following:
1) Develop and test a new prototype for a remote digital video recording (DVR) server system.
As part of ongoing efforts toward innovation, we have been developing a prototype for a robust,
remotely-monitored DVR server system. The prototype design offers a plug and play rackmounted
server with enterprise class features and redundancy; the comprehensive management
features will allow us to ship the server to its host location for physical installation and to
manage and troubleshoot all aspects of the system remotely. The prototype is nearing
completion, and we plan to test it “in house” at UK before testing it in the field. We have been
contacting Insight, the cable provider for the Lexington market, to negotiate the DVR capture
process for the new system.
2) Deploy the prototype system in the test market. To be able to deploy the system, we will need
to develop working relationships with administrators and staff at UAH to identify an appropriate
location on campus to house the system and to plan oversight of system installation. To take the
system live, we will need to develop a working relationship and negotiate an agreement with
Comcast, the cable provider in the UAH market. For this demonstration project, the DCAHuntsville
lab will be designed to capture the four major network channels: ABC, CBS, NBC,
and Fox.
3) Demonstrate the research utility of the DCA-Huntsville lab. We will develop working
relationships with interested UAH media researchers and design and conduct a pilot study to
demonstrate the utility of the satellite lab. A potential study could involve comparing Huntsville
and Lexington market news coverage of a national crisis. We also will explore the potential for
long term research collaborations across the two universities.
4) Determine long term feasibility of the system in terms of maintenance and support costs. If we
are to establish and operate multiple satellite DCA labs, then we need to have knowledge of the
resources required to maintain and operate such a system. In terms of hardware maintenance, the
manufacturer’s onsite warranty provides two-hour turnaround on a 24x7 schedule for failed or
failing hardware; the server’s proactive systems management software anticipates imminent
failure of a part and notifies the manufacturer, who will automatically order the replacement part
and dispatch a technician to install it.
5) Begin development of a long term operations protocol. The hardware that comprises the
remote DVR server system has a limited lifetime. During this project, we will track data that will
allow us to determine hardware life-span and establish a replacement schedule. Once hardware
has reached the end of its life-span as a viable server, it can be repurposed for related functions
to extend its useful life. Although such a transition will not occur during this pilot project, we
plan to develop a protocol that will allow us to transition equipment from satellite locations back
to UK for repurposing.
6) Explore viable business models for the UK-DCA lab. Ideally, a system as innovative and
powerful as the UK-DCA lab should be available to the research community to promote our
understanding of the impact of televised media on public health. As we deploy and test our first
satellite lab, we will explore business models that would allow viable expansion and operation
within the constraints of copyright law.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 9/1/11 → 9/30/12 |
Funding
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities: $15,000.00
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