BBC iPlayer

1
BBC iPlayer

• The Evolution of an XML ToolChain

2
Matthew Browning

• matthew.browning_at_bbc.co.uk
• Technical Lead, iPlayer Server-Side

3
Robin Doran

• robin.doran_at_bbc.co.uk
• Technical Manager, FM Internet,

4
Data Collation

• Multiple Sources
• Arrives in TVA

5
What's TVA?

• It's an XML standard for TV content metadata
• http//www.tv-anytime.org/

6
Structured Data?

• Let's store it in an RDBMS!

7
The (New) Media

• Managed separately to the corresponding metadata

8
PROBLEMS
9
Problem 1

• Performance was not great

10
Problem 2

• Requirement Creep

11
Problem 3

• Rewinding History

12
Problem 4

• We don't need to store all this stuff!

13
What can we do?
14
Content Package

• XML representation of a relevant object

15
Comes From...

• TVA input
• Business Rules Repository

16
Easier to Maintain

• edit a text file

17
Structure

• Directed Acyclic Graphs

18
Output

• Two-pass process (internal representation then
  output artefact)?

19
Output

• Two types...

20
11 Artifacts

• Web Pages
• Search Packages
• Syndication Widgets
• Facebook Messages

21
Harder Stuff

• Master Feeds
• HECTIC Input
• External Syndication (RSS/Atom...)?

22
Up-to-Date

• New input triggers new publication

23
Does it work?

• It's a live service
• 2 teams no longer needed

24
Questions?

• Thank you very much for your time

25
BBC Backstage

• http//backstage.bbc.co.uk/
• backstage.bbc.co.uk is the BBC's developer
  network to encourage innovation and support new
  talent. Content feeds are available for people to
  build with on a non-commercial basis.