51.3.2 Import MD5 hash file using Etere Activesync Service

When a video file has to be imported into the Etere system and transferred from an external source, checking its integrity is an essential step in this process.

One of the best solutions to carry out the check is to generate an MD5 hash file.

This is how this signature method, based on the MD5 protocol, works:

MD5 runs entire files through a mathematical hashing algorithm to generate a signature that can be matched with an original file. Data is first converted into a string of 32 characters, and once the file is sent, the destination PC generates the string again and compares it with the previous one.

If just one bit in the file is changed, no matter how large the file is, the hash output will ultimately and irreversibly change. Nothing less than an exact copy will pass the MD5 test.

If the video file is provided along with its MD5 hash file, here is where Etere Activesync Service plays its role. 

One of the features implemented in the new Etere Activesync service is the import of the MD5 hash contained in the MD5 file provided.

To read the MD5 file, the following conditions must be respected:

1. The hash file must have the ".md5" extension and must be named as the video file.
2. The MD5 file must contain the following string:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx *VIDEOFILE.mxf

; Checksums generated by MultiHasher 2.8.2
; http://www.abelhadigital.com/multihasher
; 19/12/2023 4:23:07 CH
4a81c4080b9c983fd46e591f9facef5f *VFC_CHUNG TA 8 NAM SAU_VTV3_HD1080i50_TAP 1.mxf

3. The MD5 string must be 32 characters long.

If the file matches the mentioned conditions, Etere Activesync Service will check its presence in the watch folder and import the MD5 string into the Etere database.

Once the file is processed, the MD5 can be checked through the MD5 Checksum action, embedding it in the After link workflow. Refer to the "MD5 Checksum" chapter for more details about its configuration.