Inter-system transfer text

[jack-watts]

Text to be written highlighting inter-system transfer beyond that of a flat file system.

[jhursty]

Packing List and Asset Map files exist to facilitate asset transfer between systems using store-and-forward methodologies such as filesystems on physical media, and file transfer schemes such as FTP or basic file transfer via HTTP. While effective, this form of inter-system transfer can be very inefficient in cases where the assembled package contains more assets than the receiver needs or when additional resources are engaged to construct the minimal (most efficient) package for a particular use case. The entire subject of supplemental packages is a useful introduction to the many issues that may arise when attempting to package material for efficient distribution.

In the alternative, transfer between systems can be performed using an API to allow the receiver to indicate those assets to be transferred. This approach is more easily made efficient since there are no Packing List or Asset Map files to be created or interpreted. The sender can transmit, e.g., a CPL to the recipient, and the recipient can then compare the CPL Resource identifiers to its local database to create a list of items that are not locally available and which must be requested from the sender. The recipient can then supplement its inventory with the requested items to complete the composition in the local system. A worked example follows.