NDI Backup/Failover
Overview
NDI Backup is ETERE's built-in redundancy mechanism designed to guarantee continuous on-air NDI output, even if one of the Automation instances becomes unavailable.
The feature is based on the native NDI Failover technology combined with ETERE's internal monitoring logic. The system continuously supervises both the MAIN and CLONE Automation instances and automatically maintains service continuity without requiring manual intervention or external switching devices.
By using NDI Backup, on-air NDI streams remain continuously available even in the event of an Automation crash, planned restart, or unexpected service interruption.
How It Works
Under normal operating conditions:
• The MAIN Automation sends the MAIN NDI streams.
• The CLONE Automation sends the CLONE NDI streams.
• Both Automation instances continuously monitor each other's status.
If one Automation instance stops unexpectedly, the remaining instance automatically detects the failure and guarantees service continuity through the NDI Failover mechanism.
Receivers that have been configured to use NDI Failover continue receiving the active stream without interruption, even if the original source is no longer advertised in the list of available NDI sources.
Once the failed Automation instance has completed its startup procedure and resumes its original role, the system automatically restores the normal NDI configuration.
Automatic Failover
The failover process is entirely managed by ETERE.
The Automation instances continuously monitor each other's operational status and automatically handle failover and recovery.
No manual intervention is required during Automation failures, planned restarts, or service recovery.
This mechanism ensures uninterrupted NDI reception for properly configured receivers throughout the entire failover process.
Signal Availability During MAIN Restart
Normal Operation
Under normal operating conditions, the following signals are available:
• PST Main
• PGM Main
• PST Clone
• PGM Clone
MAIN Automation Stops
When the MAIN Automation is terminated, the NDI Failover mechanism ensures uninterrupted reception of the PGM Main stream.
Although the PGM Main source is no longer advertised in the list of available NDI sources, receivers configured with NDI Failover continue to receive the stream seamlessly.
During this phase:
• PST Main is removed from the list of available NDI sources, it's not visible.
• PGM Main is no longer visible in the NDI source list; however, receivers configured with NDI Failover continue to receive the stream without interruption.
• PST Clone remains available.
• PGM Clone remains available.
MAIN Automation Restart
When the MAIN Automation is restarted in Clone mode, the PST Main signal is reinitialized.
During the startup sequence, this is the only signal originating from the MAIN instance that is temporarily advertised again.
At this stage, the available signals are:
• PST Main
• PST Clone
• PGM Clone
Meanwhile, the PGM Main stream continues to be received by clients already connected through NDI Failover, even though it is not yet advertised as an available NDI source.
Normal Operation Restored
Once the MAIN Automation has completed its startup procedure, all signals are fully restored.
The system automatically returns to its normal operating state, with the following signals available:
• PST Main
• PGM Main
• PST Clone
• PGM Clone
No manual intervention is required during the entire failover and recovery process.
Third-Party Device Compatibility
NDI receivers configured with NDI Failover maintain uninterrupted reception throughout failover and recovery events.
Although an NDI source may temporarily disappear from the list of advertised NDI sources, clients that were already connected before the failure continue to receive the stream without interruption.
As a result, third-party systems such as production switchers, multiviewers, graphics systems, replay servers, and other NDI-compatible devices continue operating normally without requiring reconnection or manual source selection.
This behavior guarantees continuous on-air operation while the Automation system is recovering and transparently restores the original NDI source once it becomes available again.