EVS Xeebra Manual

Xeebra
Version2.6|March2022
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL


Disclaimer
This manual and the information contained herein are the sole property of EVS Broadcast Equipment SA
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but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In
particular, EVS makes no warranty regarding the use or the consequences of use of this manual and the
information contained herein. Furthermore, EVS may not be held liable for any direct or indirect,
incidental, punitive or consequential loss, damage, cost or expense of any kind whatsoever and
howsoever resulting from the normal or abnormal use of this manual and the information contained
herein, even if advised of the possibility of such loss, damage, cost or expense.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this manual is accurate,
up-to-date and reliable, EVS cannot be held liable for inaccuracies or errors that may appear in this
publication. The information in this manual is furnished for informational purpose and use only and
subject to change without notice.
This manual cancels and replaces any previous versions thereof.
Copyright
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INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |Disclaimer| I


Contents
Disclaimer I
Contents III
What'sNew? V
1. Introduction 1
1.1. Product Overview 1
1.1.1. The Xeebra VAR System 1
1.1.2. Setup 1
2. Requirements 2
2.1. Network Requirements 2
2.2. Other Technical Requirements 3
3. Installation 4
3.1. First Install 4
3.2. Upgrade 8
4. Cabling 12
4.1. Connecting the Client Workstation and Servers 12
4.2. Cabling the SDIConnectors 12
4.3. Securing the SDI Cables 13
4.4. Connecting the Video Monitors 14
4.5. Connecting the Beplay Remote, ShuttlePRO v2 and X-Keys 15
4.6. DisplayPort Cable Warning 15
5. Configuration 16
5.1. Changing the Server's Management IP Address and Hostname 16
5.2. NIC Teaming 19
5.3. Mapping the Touchscreens 20
5.4. Managing the Xeebra Licenses 21
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |Contents| III

5.4.1. License Manager 21
5.5. Synchronizing the Time of the Xeebra Servers 24
5.5.1. Introduction 24
5.5.2. Configuring the NTP Server 24
5.5.3. Configuring an NTPClient 25
5.6. Customizing the Offside Line Display 27
5.7. Customizing the BEPlay Remote Controls 28
5.8. Customizing the X-Keys Controller 31
6. MonitoringandSupport 34
6.1. Services Management Tool 34
6.2. Dashboard Page 35
6.3. Health Page 36
6.4. Metrics Page 38
6.4.1. SDI Tab 38
6.4.2. Sx Storage Tab 40
6.4.3. Sys. Stats. Tab 40
6.4.4. Temperature Tab 45
6.4.5. Ingests Tab 46
6.5. Docker Page 48
6.6. Services Page 49
6.7. Versions Page 50
6.8. Resetting Xeebra 50
6.9. Consulting System Log Files and Crash Dumps 52
6.10. Support and HealthCheck Tool 52
ICONOGRAPHY
Note Tip Warning
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What'sNew?
In the Installation and Configuration Manual the icon has been added next to the text to
highlight information on new and updated features.
The changes linked to new features in version 2.6 are listed below:
Simplified installation and upgrade procedure
•See section "First Install" on page 4 and "Upgrade" on page 8
Changing the server's management IPaddress procedure
•See section "Changing the Server's Management IP Address and Hostname" on page 16
Extended range of Xeebra licenses
•"Managing the Xeebra Licenses" on page 21
Customization of the offside line display
•See section "Customizing the Offside Line Display" on page 27.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |What's New?| V


1. Introduction
1.1. ProductOverview
1.1.1. TheXeebraVARSystem
Xeebra is an instant video review system that enables referees to focus on the content review with the
utmost clarity and convenience. It allows the referee to see a number of HD camera feeds on up to two
(touchscreen) monitors in a fast, synchronized and efficient way from a variety of locations.
The Xeebra intuitive interface can be operated by a video referee during the game or by a dedicated
operator. Using a touchscreen or mouse in conjunction with a dedicated Beplay controller, referees can
browse and navigate the camera feeds, instantly zoom into the replay directly with a touch and zoom,
and mark and label the most important situations for review and export later.
With Artificial Intelligence inside, Xeebracan simplify the calibration and execution of offside calls for
VAR reviews.
Xeebra is based on a client/server architecture that guarantees the highest level of flexibility and
scalability.
1.1.2. Setup
The following diagram shows a standard setup for soccer with one Xeebra XClient workstation for both
the VAR and the on-field referee. (In other sports, it is also possible for an on-field official to have a
dedicated XClient workstation.) The XClient workstation is connected via a 1 Gigabit network cable with
up to six 2U Xeebra servers operated by a replay operator.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |1. Introduction| 1

2.Requirements
2.1. NetworkRequirements
The Xeebraclient workstation and the Xeebra server hardware need to be connected by a 1 GB link
(RJ45). When the Xeebra server is connected to 3 clients, or 2 clients with 2 screens, it is necessary to
team 2 x 1GBRJ45 cables to double the bandwidth between the client and the server. These links can
pass through a switch or be a direct connection.
Type of Link
The type of link to use depends on the distance between the client and server:
•When the distance between the client and the server hardware is smaller than 80m, a standard Cat 6
network cable is enough.
•When the distance is greater than 80, the connection must go over a fiber link.
This can be achieved by extending the Cat 6 cable with fiber media converters, or by ordering the
SFP+ Fiber option on the client and/or the server.
Type of Switch
When choosing a switch, the following recommendations should be followed:
1 server 2 servers 3 servers
Clients hosted on
server machines.
Should work with most
switches or direct-
attached Ethernet
connections.
Should work
with most
switches or
direct-attached
Ethernet
connections.
Requires data center-grade switch
(*) or direct-attached Ethernet
connections.
At least one
dedicated client
workstation.
Should work with most
switches or direct-
attached Ethernet
connections.
Requires data
center-grade
switch (*) or
direct-attached
Ethernet
connections.
Requires data center-grade switch
(*).
(*) For example, both the CISCO Catalyst 3850 and Arista DCS-7010T series of switches are suitable.
More generally, switches with dynamic buffer allocation and deep buffers should work properly.
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2.2.OtherTechnicalRequirements
Recommendations When Working with Extenders
It can happen that extenders are used for the screen, keyboard, mouse and Beplay.
The USB extenders used for the keyboard and mouse must support HID devices (USB HID class).
The USB extenders used for the touch screen(s) and Beplay must be USB 2.0 extenders.
It is important to respect the manufacturer’s recommendation in terms of distances between the
machine and USB device and grade of cable.
Recommendations When Working with Two Screens
When working with 2 screens, both screens must be:
•the same resolution;
•either 2 touch screens or 2 non-touch screens.
Recommendations When Using Several Servers
Even though one client can connect to up to 6 different servers, there is a rule as to how many clients
can connect at the same time to a single server:
•2 clients with 2 screens each
•1 client with 2 screens + 2 clients with 1 screen each.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |2. Requirements| 3

3.Installation
3.1. FirstInstall
Installation Requirements
To be able to install Xeebra2.6 for the first time, the following requirements should be fulfilled:
•Xeebra hardware with RAID (XEE-2U-4 or PMX-2U-4),
•Xeebra client hardware (XEC-4100S or Lenovo P330/340),
•1 USBkey 16 GB or higher (by preference USB 3.0).
Preparing the USBKey
1. Connect the USBkey to a Windows 7/10 machine.
If the USB key is not empty, please format it.
2. Launch the Rufus utility using the following link:
https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/releases/download/v3.14/rufus-3.14.exe
3. In the Device field, select your USBkey.
4. Click the SELECT button to the right of the Boot selection field.
5. Browse for the Xeebra ISO file, select it and click Open.
The appropriate client or server ISO file should have been shared with you: evs-xeebra_2.6.iso.
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6. Click START.
You are prompted to select the appropriate write mode.
If this dialog box does not appear, then you should copy the .iso file on your local machine.
Also, if you are using a laptop with a docking station, please ensure not to plug the USB key
into the docking station. Use a USB port on the laptop instead.
7. Select the option Write in DD Image mode and click OK.
You will be notified that all data already on the USB drive will be overwritten.
8. Click OK to continue.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |3. Installation| 5

Wait until the ISOfile has been completely written to the USBkey. This may take 30 minutes,
depending on the USBkey you are using.
Installing Xeebra
1. Connect the USB key to the server or Client hardware.
Warning: only this USB key should be connected to the machine.
2. Reboot the server.
3. Press F11 to enter the Boot menu.
4. If you're asked to enter a password: evsdvb.
5. Select your USB key as boot device.
6. From the EVSProduction menu, select the desired installation package and press ENTER:
◦Xeebra Server 2.6 - CentOS 7.9 2009 or
◦Xeebra Client 2.6 - CentOS 7..9 2009
7. Wait until you see the message "Installation complete. Please return to quit", then press ENTER. Do
not remove the USB key.
The server or client will reboot.
8. From the EVSProduction menu, select Start Operating System and press ENTER.
9. Press ENTER when you are prompted to start the operating system again.
10. Enter the serial number of the server and press ENTER.
You can find the serial number on the back of your machine.
Completing the Installation
•If the installation was successful, the following messages are displayed:
[EVS] System is configured
[EVS] [Reboot]
[EVS] [Reboot in $i seconds]
•If the installation failed, the following messages are displayed:
logs are available at /var/log/evs/evs-xeebra-{server or client}/install_evs-
xeebra-{server or client}_<YYYYMMDDhhmmss>.log
Press ENTER to reboot
Contact EVSsupport (https://myservices.evs.com/).
1. Reboot the server and wait for a few minutes before resuming activity.Check the Services
Management tool: http://127.0.0.1:9081 to ensure that everything is ok on the Dashboard page
before starting to use Xeebra.
2. After the machine reboot, please wait a few minutes before starting the Client:
6| March 2022 | Issue 2.6.G

◦If you are upgrading a Xeebra server, please wait for 2-3 minutes and open the Services
Management tool: http://127.0.0.1:9081 to check if everything is ok on the Health page
(green or at least orange status for the resolv.conf check) before starting to use Xeebra.
◦If you are upgrading a Xeebra Client, the Services Management page is not present, so please
just wait for 30 seconds to be sure everything has started before beginning to use Xeebra.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |3. Installation| 7

3.2.Upgrade
This procedure is only to be followed when you want to upgrade from one Xeebra 2.x version to another
2.x version.
Prerequisites
To be able to upgrade Xeebra, the following prerequisites should be fulfilled:
•Xeebra hardware with RAID (XEE-2U-4 or PMX-2U-4),
•Xeebra client hardware (XEC-4100S or Lenovo P330/340),
•1 USBkey 16 GB or higher (by preference USB 3.0).
Preparing the USBKey
1. Connect the USBkey to a Windows 7/10 machine.
If the USB key is not empty, please format it.
2. In the Device field, select your USBkey.
3. Click the SELECT button to the right of the Boot Selection field.
4. Browse for the Xeebra ISO file, select it and click Open.
The ISO file should have been shared with you: evs-xeebra_2.6.iso.
8| March 2022 | Issue 2.6.G

5. Click START.
You are prompted to select the appropriate write mode.
If this dialog box does not appear, then you should copy the .iso file on your local machine.
Also, if you are using a laptop with a docking station, please ensure not to plug the USB key
into the docking station. Use a USB port on the laptop instead.
6. Select the option Write in DD Image mode and click OK.
You will be notified that all data already on the USB drive will be overwritten.
7. Click OK to continue.
Wait until the ISOfile has been completely written to the USBkey.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |3. Installation| 9

Executing the Update
1. Plug your USB key into the server.
A disc icon labeled BOOT will appear on the desktop.
If ever the key is not available in /media/BOOT, perform the following steps instead:
a. Open a terminal and enter the following commands:
sudo mkdir -p /media/BOOT
readlink -f /dev/disk/by-label/BOOT
This will return something like /dev/sdx1 (where x may be another letter).
b. Enter the following commands:
sudo mount /dev/sdx1 /media/BOOT
2. Save any unsaved work before switching from graphical mode to console mode, using Ctrl+Alt+F1
or another function key.
3. Use the login: evs and password: evs123
4. Type sudo init 3 and press Enter.
5. Start the upgrade script:
cd /media/BOOT/install-evs-xeebra-{server or client}
sh update_evs-xeebra-{server or client}.sh
Once the upgrade script has ended successfully, the following messages are displayed:
[EVS] Upgrade evs-xeebra-{server or client} with success !
Remove the USB stick and press a key to reboot the system.
After pressing any key, the screen will display:
Rebooting.
If the upgrade failed, the following messages are displayed:
[EVS] Upgrade of evs-xeebra-{server or client} failed.
logs are available at /var/log/evs/evs-xeebra-{server or client}/upgrade_evs-
xeebra-{server or client}_<YYYYMMDDhhmmss>.log
please do the following :
- Take a picture of the screen
- Contact EVS support (https://myservices.evs.com/)
6. After the machine reboot, please wait a few minutes before starting the Client:
◦If you are upgrading a Xeebra server, please wait for 2-3 minutes and open the Services
Management tool: http://127.0.0.1:9081 to check if everything is ok on the Health page
(green or at least orange status for the resolv.conf check) before starting to use Xeebra.
10| March 2022 | Issue 2.6.G

◦If you are upgrading a Xeebra Client, the Services Management page is not present, so please
just wait for 30 seconds to be sure everything has started before beginning to use Xeebra.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION MANUAL
Xeebra |3. Installation| 11

4.Cabling
4.1. ConnectingtheClientWorkstationand
Servers
The Xeebra client workstation is connected with a Xeebra server through a 1Gbps link. If the client
workstation is going to be located more than 100 m away from the server, a Fiber link has to be used,
either through extenders and media converters or by using the built-in SFP+ fiber connectors.
The Xeebra servers can be connected with each other through the 1Gbps link.
4.2.CablingtheSDIConnectors
The SDIIn connectors at the back of the server can be used for incoming SDI feeds. The incoming feeds
will be recorded.
A camera's SDI Out has to be connected with one of the Xeebra server's SDI connectors using a mini
BNC cable. A maximum of 8 cameras can be connected and require the use of genlock in line with the
video format. The Genlock should not be connected when using Xeebra. The connectors are numbered
as indicated in the table below.
Use Connector
Ingest 1 Rx0
Ingest 2 Rx1
Ingest 3 Rx2
Ingest 4 Rx3
Ingest 5 Rx4
Ingest 6 Rx5
Ingest 7 Rx6
Ingest 8 Rx7
12| March 2022 | Issue 2.6.G
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