Scaling IMF: How to Manage 10,000 IMF Packages

As more businesses switch to Interoperable Master Format (IMF) for B-to-B interchange and internal mastering, they see real operational benefits, but at what cost? To begin with, IMF is extra folders here and there with multiple XML files, but as it scales, the increase in the complexity of managing hundreds/thousands of folders with cross-referenced XML files becomes a major challenge. Creating and consuming IMF at business workflow boundaries makes a lot of sense, but as we scale, the need for an abstraction layer in the form of workflow orchestration and media asset management (MAM) becomes key. This paper’s highlights include fundamental IMF concepts that need to be mapped into an MAM, mapping advanced features and private data between MAM and IMF, and the importance of an abstraction layer to get the most out of IMF.