Abstract:
A serialization management system consists of a job control host for assigning serial numbers to storage media, and for generating a job; a replication facility host communicatively coupled to the job control host, wherein the job control host communicates the job to the replication facility host; and a serialization writer communicatively coupled to the replication facility host, wherein the replication facility host controls the serialization writer in response to the job, and communicates status information to the job control host. In another embodiment, the invention can be characterized as method for operating the serialization management system.

Description:
This patent document claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/244,558, filed Oct. 30, 2000, for ARCHITECTURE FOR A BCA WRITER SYSTEM, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention advantageously provides a serialization management system and method. 
   In one embodiment, the invention can be characterized as a serialization management system employing a job control host for assigning serial numbers to storage media, and for generating a job; a replication facility host communicatively coupled to the job control host, wherein the job control host communicates the job to the replication facility host; and a serialization writer communicatively coupled to the replication facility host, wherein the replication facility host controls the serialization writer in response to the job, and communicates status information to the job control host. 
   In a variation of this embodiment, a serialization writer console is coupled to the serialization writer, the serialization writer console prompting the replication facility host for a batch by communicating a batch request to the replication facility host; wherein the replication facility host communicates to the serialization writer, in response to the batch request, batch data, the batch data being generated by the replication facility host as a function of the job. 
   In another embodiment, the invention can be characterized as a serialization management method having steps of assigning serial numbers to storage media in a job control host; generating a job in the job control host; communicating the job to a replication facility host; controlling a serialization writer in response to the job; and communicating status information to the job control host. 
   In a variation of this method, such method has the further step of prompting the replication facility host for a batch by communicating a batch request to the replication facility host; generating batch data at the replication facility host as a function of the job; and communicating to the serialization writer, in response to the batch request, the batch data. 
   In another variation of this method, such method has the additional steps of writing serialization onto media with the serialization writer in response to the batch data. 
   In yet a further variation of this method, such method has the further additional steps of receiving a job complete indicia at a replication facility console; communicating the job complete indicia to the replication facility host; generating a job complete status in the replication facility host in response to the job complete indicia; and communicating the job complete status to the job control host. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is hardware block diagram of a BCA writer serialization management system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a BCA writer serialization management system, such as in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with the one embodiment; 
       FIG. 3  is high-level block diagram illustrating workflow in a BCA writer serialization management system, such as in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a work flow diagram illustrating steps traversed by a BCA writer serialization management system such as in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is block diagram illustrating display screens for a console of a job control host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 , and navigational relationships between such display screens; 
       FIG. 6  is an illustration of a job status display screen for the console of the job control host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 7  is an illustration of an edit jobs display screen for the console of the job control host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is an illustration of a serialization data display screen for the console of the job control host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 9  is an illustration of a replication facilities maintenance and status display screen for the console of the job control host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 10  is block diagram illustrating display screen for a console of a job control host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 , and navigational relationships between such display screens; 
       FIG. 11  is an illustration of a replication facility job status display screen for the console of the replication facility host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 12  is an illustration of a serialization data display screen for the console of the replication facility host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 13  is an illustration of a BCA writers maintenance and status display screen for the console of the replication facility host of the BCA writer serialization management system of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following description of the presently contemplated best mode of practicing the invention is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a hardware block diagram is shown of a serialization writer, e.g., a BCA writer, serialization management system  100  in accordance with one embodiment, and, simultaneously referring to  FIG. 2 , a functional block diagram is shown of a BCA writer serialization management system  100 , such as in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with the one embodiment. 
   The present embodiment is directed to a turnkey serialization and control system for use within multiple replication facilities  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″, such as DVD or other media replication facilities that can control multiple serialization writers, such as BCA writers. The serialization and control system employs a master control host  102  for receipt and transmission of serialization information. 
   Serialization writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′, e.g., BCA writers of various manufacturers are preferably supported, and the serialization and control system is preferably scalable to multiple replication facilities  202 ,  202 ′,  204 ′, and multiple serialization writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′, e.g., BCA writers, per replication facility. 
   The serialization and control system can be controlled from the master control host  102 . The master control host  102  automatically updates a central database  212  during BCA writing, and the central database  212  can be used, for example, for authentication and tracking of serialized media. 
   Work orders can be spread across multiple replication facilities  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″ and serialization writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′, e.g., BCA writers, within a replication facility. 
   In accordance with the present embodiment, the serialization writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′ also perform verification of serialization information, e.g., the BCA numbers, having been written. The central database  212  is updated to reflect whether a BCA number is read during verification, or whether a read attempt during verification fails. The BCA number written to media for which verification fails is not used on any other media, which helps to prevent/detect piracy since no number can be used twice. 
   The serialization and control system also supports double sided media, and allows for a BCA number to be applied to each side of the double sided media, such as double sided a DVD disc, so that the side of the media that is accessed, e.g., played, can be tracked. The writing of the BCA numbers to double sided media is effected by offsetting the laser on each side media so as to burn down through the media and not interfere with the BCA number on the other side of the media. Two different BCA numbers are applied to each side of the media. 
   The serialization and control system of the present embodiment includes: a master control host  102  comprising a control server, such as an Intel-based personal computer, at a central location, connected and interfaced with (such as through a network  106 , such as a TCP/IP based Ethernet network) individual replication control hosts  104 ,  104 ′ at multiple replication facilities  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″, and employing an operating system, such as Windows NT/2000 from Microsoft of Washington, U.S.A.; and a replication control host  104 ,  104 ′ comprising a multi-processor control host, such as a multi-processor Intel-based personal computer, at a replication facility  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″, connected and interfaced with (such as through a network  108 , such as a TCP/IP based Ethernet network) individual BCA writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′ at the replication facility, and employing an operating system, such as Linux, an open-source operating system. 
   Note that in an alternative embodiment, where, for example, only a single replication facility is used, the job control host and the replication facility host may be implemented on a single personal computer. 
   Thus, the serialization and control system of the present embodiment includes two major subsystems. The first subsystem (the replication control hosts  104 ,  104 ′) resides at a replication facility  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″ and manages the application of specific data sets (“serial numbers”) to media, such as DVD discs. The second subsystem (the master control host  102 ) resides at a centralized facility  110 ,  110 ′,  110 ″ and manages the creation of serial number sets and their assignment to specification replication facilities. A replication control host  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″ (or replication facility host  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″) can take job sets from multiple master control hosts  102  (or job control hosts  102 ), and similarly a job control host  102  can provide data sets to multiple replication facility hosts  104 ,  104 ′. 
   The serialization and control system further includes (or is coupled to) one or more serialization writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′, such as BCA writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′, at the replication facility  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a block diagram is shown illustrating a high-level system architecture for a serialization and control system. 
   The serialization and control system includes three main components: 
   1. The Job Control Host  102 —A centralized system that creates and manages batches of serial numbers (jobs). The jobs are assigned to specific replication facilities  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″. The job control host  102  manages the assignment, transmission, and tracking of jobs to any number of replication facilities  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″. The job control host is typically owned and managed by or for a content owner producing media, such as discs. 
   2. The Replication Facility Host  104 ,  104 ′—A system that resides within a specific replication facility  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″ and manages the application of the serial number batches (jobs) to actual DVD discs. The jobs may be assigned by any number of job control hosts. The replication facility host  104 ,  104 ′ communicates and inter-operates with one or more BCA writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′ within the replication facility  202 ,  202 ′,  202 ″ to accomplish this task. The replication facility host  104 ,  104 ′ should preferably be a high availability system as its failure will cause all attached serialization writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′ to be unusable. The replication control host  104 ,  104 ′ manages workload amongst the serialization writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′ at the replication facility, including splitting work orders amongst multiple sterilization writers. 
   3. The Serialization Writers  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  206 ′,  208 ′,  210 ′—A sophisticated piece of machinery that performs the actual application of a serial number (i.e., serialization) to, e.g., the BCA field of a DVD on a production line. There are two known types of BCA writers from Panasonic and Robi Systems. These writers, typically, can apply the BCA mark at line speeds (3–4 seconds per disc). The BCA writers communicate with the replication facility host  104 ,  104 ′ using TCP/IP over an Ethernet connection. The present document does not discuss the BCA writers other than how they interface to the replication facility host  104 ,  104 ′, as such BCA writers are well known in the art. 
   Referring next to  FIG. 3 , a high-level block diagram is shown illustrating workflow in the serialization writer serialization management system, and simultaneously referring to  FIG. 4 , a work flow diagram is shown illustrating steps traversed by the BCA writer serialization management system. These diagrams illustrate a typical flow of a job through the serialization and control system. Time is indicated vertically in  FIG. 4  and flows from the top to the bottom (i.e., later-occurring events are depicted below earlier-occurring events). 
   1. At the outset a new production job  302  is created at a job control console  402 —job status entered 
   2. The job  404  is transferred to a replication facility host  304 —job status pending 
   3. Operator assigns  406  a disk master ID for the job on the replication facility host console  408 —job status assigned 
   4. The following steps repeat until the job is marked complete by an operator: 
   4.1. A BCA machine operator initializes  410 ,  410 ′ a serialization production run on a BCA writer  414 ,  414 ′, 
   4.1.1. If this is the first serialization run for a job, job status becomes in process, 
   4.2. The BCA machine operator inserts disks  416 ,  416 ′ in BCA writer  414 ,  414 ′ and issues a command to start producing disks for a given job, 
   4.3. The following steps repeat until the BCA machine operator terminates the serialization production run: 
   4.3.1. The BCA writer requests a batch  418 ,  418 ′ of serialization data for the job from the replication facility host  304  and receives batch data  420 ,  420 ′ from the replication facility host  304 , 
   4.3.2. The BCA writer  414 ,  414 ′ writes serialization data onto disks, and 
   4.3.3. As batches complete, the BCA writer  414 ,  414 ′ notifies the replication facility host  304  and sends the status  422 ,  422 ′. Two batches of 16 serial numbers are always in process per BCA writer, 
   5. The BCA writer operator marks a disk master ID as complete for each complete job on the replication facility host console  408 , 
   6. The replication facility host  408  notifies  424  the job control host that the job is completed  426 —job status complete 
   7. When confirmation is received from the job control host  428  the job is deleted from the replication facility host  304   
   8. The job is exported from the job control console  430 —job status final. 
   The job control host  428  of the present embodiment includes a collection of Windows NT tasks that collectively implement the job control host function. The user interface for the job control host  428  is a windows based interface. 
   The Windows NT task that implements the user interface for the job control host  428  is used to manage and display the status of production jobs. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , a block diagram is shown illustrating display screens for a console of a job control host of the serialization writer serialization management system, and navigational relationships between such display screens. The console has three main screens: Job Status  502 , Serialization Data  504 , and Replication Facilities  506 . The three main screens are accessed by tabs at the top of each of the three main screens. 
   The Job Status screen  502  has an additional sub-screen, Edit Job  508 , which is accessed by clicking a New Job or Edit Job button on the Job Status screen. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , an illustration is shown of a job status screen  502  for the console of a job control host of the serialization writer serialization management system. This is the main screen for all Job management. From here the operator is able to create, assign, track, and finalize jobs. This screen provides an overview of the current Job status, and provides convenient mechanisms for all Job management functions. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Job Status 504, 
               Clicking on one of these tabs brings the Job 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               Status, Serialization Data, or Replication 
             
             
                 
               Data 506, 
               Facilities screen forward. 
             
             
                 
               Replication 
             
             
                 
               Facilities 508 
             
             
                 
               tabs 
             
             
                 
               Job/Disk ID/ 
               Contains a list of production jobs in the 
             
             
                 
               Status List 510 
               system, and each jobs Disk ID and Status. 
             
             
                 
                 
               The jobs may be sorted by clicking on the 
             
             
                 
                 
               Job 512, Disk ID 514, or Status 516 column 
             
             
                 
                 
               headings. Buttons such as Print Job Report 
             
             
                 
                 
               518 operate on the jobs selected in this 
             
             
                 
                 
               list. Double-clicking on a job brings up 
             
             
                 
                 
               the Edit Job screen. 
             
             
                 
               New Job 522 
               Creates a new job and brings up the Edit Job 
             
             
                 
                 
               window. 
             
             
                 
               Edit Job 524 
               Brings up the Edit Job window. 
             
             
                 
               Select All 526 
               Selects all the jobs in the list. 
             
             
                 
               Clear All 528 
               Clears all the jobs in the list. 
             
             
                 
               Delete Job 530 
               Clicking deletes the selected job. A confirm 
             
             
                 
                 
               dialog box will appear. A job can only be 
             
             
                 
                 
               deleted if its status is Pending or Hold. 
             
             
                 
                 
               Deleted jobs are not really deleted, but 
             
             
                 
                 
               rather are finalized and will no longer 
             
             
                 
                 
               appear as active jobs in the jobs screen. 
             
             
                 
                 
               Thus if any serial numbers have been used 
             
             
                 
                 
               (i.e. applied to a disc) the job will remain 
             
             
                 
                 
               in the job database to allow for duplicate 
             
             
                 
                 
               serial number checking. 
             
             
                 
               Show Finalized 
               Displays a list of finalized jobs in the job 
             
             
                 
               Jobs 532 
               list area. A finalized job has completed 
             
             
                 
                 
               production and has had its serialized data 
             
             
                 
                 
               exported. 
             
             
                 
               Hold/Release 
               Clicking puts all selected job(s) on Hold. 
             
             
                 
               Job(s) 534 
               A confirmation with a dialog box will 
             
             
                 
                 
               appear. Any job may be placed on hold, 
             
             
                 
                 
               although until the hold has been confirmed 
             
             
                 
                 
               by the replication facility, status will 
             
             
                 
                 
               only show hold pending. The hold will not 
             
             
                 
                 
               become effective at the replication facility 
             
             
                 
                 
               until any active BCA marking session is 
             
             
                 
                 
               complete. Once on hold, a job can be 
             
             
                 
                 
               released at which time its status will 
             
             
                 
                 
               become Assigned. 
             
             
                 
               Export/Finalize 
               Exports the serialization data for the 
             
             
                 
               Job(s) 536 
               selected job(s) and mark the job as 
             
             
                 
                 
               finalized. The exported file is in a comma 
             
             
                 
                 
               separated value (CSV) format. 
             
             
                 
               Print Job 
               Prints a report of the selected job(s). 
             
             
                 
               Report 518 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , an illustration is shown of an edit job screen  508  for the console of a job control host of the serialization writer serialization management system. This is the screen used to add or edit jobs. Jobs can only be entered when all information is available. Jobs may only be edited before the replication facility assigns a disk master ID and their status becomes Assigned. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Job Name 702 
               The name assigned to the job 
             
             
                 
                 
               being created/edited. This 
             
             
                 
                 
               is the name/ID that will be 
             
             
                 
                 
               used by the replication 
             
             
                 
                 
               facilities to identify the 
             
             
                 
                 
               appropriate disc master ID. 
             
             
                 
                 
               An error will occur if the 
             
             
                 
                 
               name is not unique. Once a 
             
             
                 
                 
               jobs status has become 
             
             
                 
                 
               Assigned this field will no 
             
             
                 
                 
               longer be editable. 
             
             
                 
               Job Description 704 
               A Description of the current 
             
             
                 
                 
               job. 
             
             
                 
               Production Quantity 706 
               Indicates the quantity to be 
             
             
                 
                 
               produced. The quantity to be 
             
             
                 
                 
               produced should be enough to 
             
             
                 
                 
               allow for normal production 
             
             
                 
                 
               overage and waste. Once a 
             
             
                 
                 
               job&#39;s status has become 
             
             
                 
                 
               Assigned this field will no 
             
             
                 
                 
               longer be editable. 
             
             
                 
               Starting Serial Number 708 
               The starting serial number of 
             
             
                 
                 
               the job. A block of 
             
             
                 
                 
               sequential serial numbers 
             
             
                 
                 
               will be reserved for this job 
             
             
                 
                 
               starting at this number and 
             
             
                 
                 
               continuing through the 
             
             
                 
                 
               quantity being produced. An 
             
             
                 
                 
               error will occur if another 
             
             
                 
                 
               job has already been assigned 
             
             
                 
                 
               a conflicting serial number 
             
             
                 
                 
               range. (Note that a default 
             
             
                 
                 
               serial number, such as the 
             
             
                 
                 
               next unused number, is not 
             
             
                 
                 
               displayed because the Job 
             
             
                 
                 
               Management task has no 
             
             
                 
                 
               knowledge of how patterns of 
             
             
                 
                 
               serial number ranges are 
             
             
                 
                 
               assigned.) Once a jobs 
             
             
                 
                 
               status has become Assigned 
             
             
                 
                 
               this field will no longer be 
             
             
                 
                 
               editable. 
             
             
                 
               Replication Facility 710 
               The replication facility that 
             
             
                 
                 
               will be assigned to produce 
             
             
                 
                 
               this job. Once a jobs status 
             
             
                 
                 
               has become Assigned this 
             
             
                 
                 
               field will no longer be 
             
             
                 
                 
               editable. 
             
             
                 
               Disk ID 712 
               A unique numeric disc 
             
             
                 
                 
               identifier assigned by 
             
             
                 
                 
               InterActual. Once a job&#39;s 
             
             
                 
                 
               status has become Assigned 
             
             
                 
                 
               this field will no longer be 
             
             
                 
                 
               editable. 
             
             
                 
               Disk Name 714 
               A unique textual disc 
             
             
                 
                 
               identifier assigned by 
             
             
                 
                 
               InterActual associated with 
             
             
                 
                 
               the Disk ID. This field will 
             
             
                 
                 
               automatically be filled out 
             
             
                 
                 
               and a warning issued if the 
             
             
                 
                 
               entered Disk ID has already 
             
             
                 
                 
               been used in another job. 
             
             
                 
                 
               Once a job&#39;s status has 
             
             
                 
                 
               become Assigned this field 
             
             
                 
                 
               will no longer be editable. 
             
             
                 
               Customer ID 716 
               The ID of the customer this 
             
             
                 
                 
               job is being produced for. 
             
             
                 
               Operator ID 718 
               The Operator ID of the 
             
             
                 
                 
               operator who is entering the 
             
             
                 
                 
               new job. The user&#39;s login 
             
             
                 
                 
               name is used as the operator 
             
             
                 
                 
               ID and is not editable. 
             
             
                 
               Log 720 
               A log of events pertaining to 
             
             
                 
                 
               this job. The date and time 
             
             
                 
                 
               when jobs are entered or 
             
             
                 
                 
               edited, status changes, 
             
             
                 
                 
               errors, etc. appear in the 
             
             
                 
                 
               log. Information pertinent 
             
             
                 
                 
               to the event, such as 
             
             
                 
                 
               operator ID, is also logged. 
             
             
                 
               Percentage Completed 722 
               Graphical representation of 
             
             
                 
                 
               the percentage completion of 
             
             
                 
                 
               the job. 
             
             
                 
               Disk Master ID 724 
               Master ID for the job. New 
             
             
                 
                 
               jobs are Pending until a Disk 
             
             
                 
                 
               Master ID is entered by the 
             
             
                 
                 
               operator at the Replication 
             
             
                 
                 
               Facility. Once it is entered 
             
             
                 
                 
               the Job Control Host is 
             
             
                 
                 
               notified and the job status 
             
             
                 
                 
               becomes Assigned. 
             
             
                 
               Quantity Completed 726 
               The number of disks in the 
             
             
                 
                 
               current job that have been 
             
             
                 
                 
               produced by the replication 
             
             
                 
                 
               facility. 
             
             
                 
               Status 728 
               The current status of this 
             
             
                 
                 
               job. 
             
             
                 
               Failure Count 730 
               The number of failed serial 
             
             
                 
                 
               numbers in this job. 
             
             
                 
               Cancel 732 
               Cancels adding the new job. 
             
             
                 
               Submit Job 734 
               Submits the new job for 
             
             
                 
                 
               production. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIG. 8 , an illustration is shown of a serialization data display screen for the console of a job control host of the BCA writer serialization management system. This screen allows the operator to review the serial number set under management. The operator can view serial number utilization in sequential order or by status. In addition, the serial number data can be written to a file or printed. Note that only the export file will contain the full BCA mark data, including the appropriate authentication signatures. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Job Status 504, 
               Clicking on one of these tabs brings, 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               respectively, the Job Status, 
             
             
                 
               Data 606, 
               Serialization Data, or Replication 
             
             
                 
               Replication 
               Facilities screen forward. 
             
             
                 
               Facilities 608 
             
             
                 
               tabs 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               Lists the serial number ranges of all jobs, 
             
             
                 
               Ranges 802 
               the job the range is contained in, and the 
             
             
                 
                 
               status of each range. The status of each 
             
             
                 
                 
               range can be In Process, Good, or Bad. 
             
             
                 
                 
               Multiple ranges may be selected for the 
             
             
                 
                 
               export command. The ranges may be sorted 
             
             
                 
                 
               by clicking on the Range 804, Job 806 or 
             
             
                 
                 
               Status 808 column headings. Double- 
             
             
                 
                 
               clicking on a range switches to the job 
             
             
                 
                 
               screen positioned to the job the range is 
             
             
                 
                 
               contained in. 
             
             
                 
               Print 
               Prints a report of the selected 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               serialization ranges. 
             
             
                 
               Report 810 
             
             
                 
               Delete Range 
               Deletes the selected range. 
             
             
                 
               812 
             
             
                 
               Range Quantity 
               The number of serial numbers in the 
             
             
                 
               814 
               selected range. 
             
             
                 
               Job Quantity 
               The number of disks in the job of which 
             
             
                 
               820 
               this serial number is part of. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIG. 9 , an illustration is shown of a replication facilities maintenance and status display screen  506  for the console of a job control host of the serialization writer serialization management system. This is the main screen for replication facility maintenance and status overviews. From here the operator is able to create, delete, and track replication facility host connections. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Job Status 604, 
               Clicking on one of these tabs brings 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               the Job Status. Serialization Data, or 
             
             
                 
               Data 606, 
               Replication Facilities screen forward. 
             
             
                 
               Replication 
             
             
                 
               Facilities 608 
             
             
                 
               tabs 
             
             
                 
               Replication 
               Lists all replication facilities. 
             
             
                 
               Facilities 900 
               Multiple replication facilities may be 
             
             
                 
                 
               selected for the print 904 command. 
             
             
                 
               New Replication 
               Adds a new replication facility to the 
             
             
                 
               Facility 906 
               list. 
             
             
                 
               Delete 
               Deletes the selected replication 
             
             
                 
               Replication 
               facility. A confirm dialog will 
             
             
                 
               Facility 908 
               appear. The replication facility 
             
             
                 
                 
               cannot be deleted if it has any 
             
             
                 
                 
               currently assigned jobs. They must 
             
             
                 
                 
               first be placed on Hold and/or 
             
             
                 
                 
               Finalized. 
             
             
                 
               Print 904 
               Prints a report of the selected 
             
             
                 
                 
               replication facilities. 
             
             
                 
               Facility Name 
               Name of the selected replication 
             
             
                 
               Name 910 
               facility. 
             
             
                 
               Facility Internet 
               Internet address of the selected 
             
             
                 
               Address 912 
               replication facility. 
             
             
                 
               Communication 
               The count of the communication 
             
             
                 
               Failures 914 
               failures to the selected replication 
             
             
                 
                 
               facility. Details of each failure 
             
             
                 
                 
               appear in the communications log. 
             
             
                 
               Clear Log 916 
               Clears the communication log for the 
             
             
                 
                 
               selected replication facility. 
             
             
                 
               Clear Counts 918 
               Clears the communication failure count 
             
             
                 
                 
               field for the selected replication 
             
             
                 
                 
               facility. 
             
             
                 
               Test 
               Tests communications to the selected 
             
             
                 
               Communications 
               replication facility. The results of 
             
             
                 
               920 
               the test appear in the communication 
             
             
                 
                 
               log. 
             
             
                 
               Communication 
               Log of all communication between the 
             
             
                 
               Log 922 
               job control host and the selected 
             
             
                 
                 
               replication facility host. 
             
             
                 
               Assigned 
               List of jobs currently assigned to the 
             
             
                 
               Jobs 924 
               selected replication facility. Only 
             
             
                 
                 
               jobs assigned by this Job Control Host 
             
             
                 
                 
               are shown Double clicking on a job in 
             
             
                 
                 
               the assigned jobs window automatically 
             
             
                 
                 
               brings up the Job status screen. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIG. 10 , a block diagram is shown illustrating display screens for a console of a job control host of the serialization writer serialization management system, and navigational relationships between such display screens. Thus, the console of the replication facility host has three main screens: replication facility job status  1002 , serialization data  1004 , and BCA writer maintenance and status  1006 . The three main screens are accessed by tabs at the top of each of the three main screens. 
   Referring to  FIG. 11 , an illustration is shown of a replication facility job status display screen  1002  for the console of a replication facility host of the BCA writer serialization management system. The replication facility job status display screen is used for keeping track of jobs sent to all replication facilities. A job is entered after a serial number range, job ID, and replication facility are known. Once the job is entered it is automatically downloaded to a replication facility host at a replication facility. Control of the job is then passed to the replication facility host. The replication facility host periodically sends a status update the job control host including job statuses (see below) for each job that has been sent to, and is being handled at, the replication facility of the replication facility host. The job control host may request status changes, but the replication facility host actively manages and controls the job. 
   Once the job is marked complete by the replication facility host, control of that job is passed back up the job control host, where the operator is responsible for performing a finalize operation which results in an export of the final serial number data and status. 
   In accordance with the present embodiment, once entered, jobs may not be edited. This is due to the fact that in normal operations the jobs will quickly be downloaded to the replication facility host, and once downloaded, control of that job is passed to the replication facility host. Thus, if a job has errors and needs to be corrected, it should be placed on hold status when it is initially entered, then deleted/finalized, and then taken off of hold status. Any used serial numbers from hold/deleted jobs are not reused. 
   As also noted above, job statuses are:
         ENTERED—The job has been defined, but not downloaded to its replication facility host.   PENDING—The job has been downloaded to the replication facility host but no data has been received in a status update or in response to a status change request indicating that the serialization of the job has begun.   ASSIGNED—The job has been assigned a disc master ID by the replication facility host, but serialization has not yet begun.   INPROCESS—Serialization of the job has begun, but an indication that the job is complete has not yet been received.   COMPLETE—The replication facility host has marked the job as completed.   FINALIZED—Recordation/storing of completed serial number data has been performed, such as by saving the completed serial number data in a file.   HOLDPENDING—A Hold of the job has been requested, but not yet acknowledged by the replication facility host. This status is used when a particular job needs to be cancelled or work held for some reason, and a request to hold such job had been made at the job control host, but not yet acknowledged by the replication facility host.   HOLD—The job has been placed on hold in the replication facility host.       

   Jobs are preferably exported in a comma separated value (CSV) format suitable for importing into programs such as Microsoft Excel, or into a serialization database, such as a Microsoft Access database, or an Oracle Database. Each job is exported into a separate file, i.e., a separate comma separated value file. 
   A first line of the comma separated value file contains information pertaining to the overall job including the Job Name, Job Status, Replication Facility, disk identifier (e.g., an InterActual disk identifier), Disk Master ID, Production Quantity, Quantity Completed, and Job Control Host Operator ID. Subsequent lines each contain information for one serialization range including the fields Starting Serial Number, Status, Quantity, BCA writer operator ID, BCA writer ID, starting date/time, and ending date/time. 
   A job control database, such as a Microsoft Access or Oracle database, contains data relating to all production jobs in the system such as serialization information, assigned replication facilities, job quantities, job status, etc. 
   A format for the job control database is as follows: 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               Job Database Format 
             
           
        
         
             
               Field Name 
               Field Type 
               Example 
             
             
                 
             
             
               Job Name 
               String 
               Herndon, 
             
             
               Production Quantity 
               32-bit 
               50000, 
             
             
                 
               integer 
             
             
               Replication Facility 
               String 
               WAMO, Olyphant PA 
             
             
               Starting Serial Number 
               32-bit 
               100 
             
             
                 
               integer 
             
             
               Number of Units assigned 
               32-bit 
               Number of units which 
             
             
                 
               integer 
               have been assigned to 
             
             
                 
                 
               this Job at job creation 
             
             
               Job Status 
               String 
               In Process 
             
             
               Description 
               String 
               Matrix, special feature— 
             
             
                 
                 
               Warner Brothers. 
             
             
               Date/time created 
               Time 
               Dec 10, 2000 4:15 PM 
             
             
                 
               (32-bit 
             
             
                 
               integer- 
             
             
                 
               sec. since 
             
             
                 
               1980?) 
             
             
               Date/time downloaded to 
               Time 
               Dec 10, 2000 10:37 PM 
             
             
               replication facility 
             
             
               First Serialization applied 
               Time 
               Dec 11, 2000 8:03 AM 
             
             
               Job Completed 
               Time 
               Dec 15, 2000 1:31 PM 
             
             
               Serial Number Range Count 
               32-bit 
               3 
             
             
                 
               integer 
             
             
               Serial Number Start 
               Integer [ ] 
               100, 724, 730 
             
             
               Serial Number Quantity 
               Integer [ ] 
               624, 6, 50100 
             
             
               Serial Number Range Status 
               Integer [ ] 
               GOOD, BAD, Unknown 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   The following is an explanation of the possible values for serial number range Status: 
   Good—Disks in this range were successfully produced 
   Bad—Disks in this range were bad 
   Unknown—Disks in this range have an unknown status, serial number assigned to replication machine, but results undefined. These serial numbers may appear in the field. 
   All other serial numbers in the assigned range, but without detailed records are assumed to be unknown until the job status is Closed, at which time they are given the status Assigned. 
   A database of all known replication facilities, i.e., a replication facilities database, is also maintained at the job control host. In accordance with the present embodiment, the replication facilities database is a simple text file having one replication facility per line. Each line contains the following fields separated by commas: 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               Replication Facility Database Format 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Field Name 
               Field Type 
               Example 
             
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               ID 
               String 
               Herndon 
             
             
                 
               Internet 
               String 
               herndon.xyzzy.com 
             
             
                 
               address 
             
             
                 
               Date/time 
               TIME 
               Oct 5, 2000 11:05 am 
             
             
                 
               Created 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   As mentioned above, a replication facility host is a Linux based personal computer that is optimized for high availability (HA) operation, such as by having redundant systems, such as hard drives, power supplies, interface cards, processors, etc. The replication facility host is responsible for providing real-time management for a group of BCA writers that do the actual writing of BCA&#39;s to discs. 
   The principle task of the replication facility host is to keep track of jobs currently under production and assigning new production batches to each BCA writer as batch requests are received from the job control host. 
   The following summarizes the various job control commands that the replication facility host may receive from the job control host via the network: 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
             
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
             
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
             
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               Job Control Commands (received from Job Control Hosts) 
             
             
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
               Add Job 
               Add a new production job 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Replication 
               String 
               ID of Replication Facility 
             
             
                 
               Facility ID 
                 
               assigned to this Job 
             
             
                 
               Job ID 
               String 
               ID of this job 
             
             
                 
               Production 
               Integer 
             
             
                 
               Quantity 
             
             
                 
               Serial number 
               String 
               ??? SN%d 
             
             
                 
               format 
             
             
                 
               Starting 
               Integer 
             
             
                 
               Serial Number 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
         
             
               Delete Job 
               Delete an existing production job 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Replication 
               String 
               ID of Replication Facility 
             
             
                 
               Facility ID 
                 
               assigned to this job. 
             
             
                 
               Job ID 
               String 
               ID of this job. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
         
             
               Hold Job 
               Hold an existing production job 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Replication 
               String 
               ID of Replication Facility 
             
             
                 
               Facility ID 
                 
               assigned to this job. 
             
             
                 
               Job ID 
               String 
               ID of this job. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
         
             
               Continue Job 
               Continue an existing stopped production job 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Replication 
               String 
               ID of Replication Facility 
             
             
                 
               Facility ID 
                 
               assigned to this Job 
             
             
                 
               Job ID 
               String 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
         
             
               Batch Commands (received from BCA Writer Interfaces)— 
             
             
               see BCA Writer Interface 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   A Job/Batch Console/Replication Job Management Task provides a user interface for the replication facility host. The console allows the operator of the replication facility host to assign and monitor jobs and BCA writers. The operator of the console is typically a back-office employee who has operational oversight of the overall job processes flow. 
   The Job/Batch Console/Replication Job Management Task has three main screens that are displayed on the replication facility host console: Job Status, Serialization Data  1104 , and BCA Machines  1106 . In accordance with the present embodiment, these three main screens are accessed by tabs at a top of each of the three main screens. 
   The Job Status display screen has the following: 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Job Status 1102, 
               Clicking on one of these tabs brings 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               the Job Status, Serialization Data, or 
             
             
                 
               Data 1104, BCA 
               BCA Machines screen forward. 
             
             
                 
               Machines 1106 
             
             
                 
               tabs 
             
             
                 
               Job Listing 1108 
               Contains a list of production jobs at 
             
             
                 
                 
               this replication facility, their 
             
             
                 
                 
               status, and their source (the Job 
             
             
                 
                 
               Control Host that assigned the job). 
             
             
                 
                 
               Selecting 1110 a job will cause its 
             
             
                 
                 
               status to be displayed in the Job 
             
             
                 
                 
               Status portion of the window. 
             
             
                 
                 
               Multiple jobs may be selected for the 
             
             
                 
                 
               print command. The jobs may be sorted 
             
             
                 
                 
               by clicking on the Job 1112, Status 
             
             
                 
                 
               1114 or Source 1116 column headings. 
             
             
                 
                 
               Double-clicking on a job to switches 
             
             
                 
                 
               to the serialization screen positioned 
             
             
                 
                 
               to that jobs serialization data. 
             
             
                 
               Job Complete 1118 
               Clicking after all disks are produced 
             
             
                 
                 
               indicates a job is complete. The Job 
             
             
                 
                 
               Control Host is notified and when an 
             
             
                 
                 
               acknowledgement is received the job is 
             
             
                 
                 
               deleted from the Replication Facility 
             
             
                 
                 
               Host. 
             
             
                 
               Print Job Report 
               Prints a report of the selected 
             
             
                 
               1120 
               job(s). 
             
             
                 
               Disk Master ID 
               ID for disk being serialized. New 
             
             
                 
               1122 
               jobs are Pending until a Disk Master 
             
             
                 
                 
               ID is entered by the operator at the 
             
             
                 
                 
               Replication Facility. Once it is 
             
             
                 
                 
               entered the Job Control Host is 
             
             
                 
                 
               notified and the job status becomes 
             
             
                 
                 
               Assigned. Once the serialization has 
             
             
                 
                 
               begun the Disk Master ID can no longer 
             
             
                 
                 
               be changed. The Disk Master ID does 
             
             
                 
                 
               not have to be unique. It is used by 
             
             
                 
                 
               the replication facility to identify 
             
             
                 
                 
               the disk being serialized and may 
             
             
                 
                 
               apply to multiple jobs. For example, 
             
             
                 
                 
               if the production quantity of a disk 
             
             
                 
                 
               increases, a new job may be added for 
             
             
                 
                 
               the additional quantity. A warning 
             
             
                 
                 
               will be issued when this occurs. When 
             
             
                 
                 
               multiple jobs with the same Disk 
             
             
                 
                 
               Master ID exist they are treated as a 
             
             
                 
                 
               single job from the point of view of 
             
             
                 
                 
               the BOA writer operator—when the 
             
             
                 
                 
               serial numbers from one job are 
             
             
                 
                 
               exhausted the serial numbers from the 
             
             
                 
                 
               next job will be used. The jobs are 
             
             
                 
                 
               processed in the order entered (the 
             
             
                 
                 
               oldest first). 
             
             
                 
               InterActual Disk 
               A unique disc identifier assigned by a 
             
             
                 
               ID 1124 
               management entity, for example, 
             
             
                 
                 
               InterActual. 
             
             
                 
               Percentage 
               The completion percentage of the 
             
             
                 
               Completed 1126 
               selected job. 
             
             
                 
               Quantity 
               The number of disks in the selected 
             
             
                 
               Completed 1128 
               job that have been produced by the 
             
             
                 
                 
               replication facility. 
             
             
                 
               Production 
               The total number of disks to be 
             
             
                 
               Quantity 1130 
               produced in this job. 
             
             
                 
               Starting Serial 
               The starting serial number for this 
             
             
                 
               Number 1132 
               job. The serial numbers for this job 
             
             
                 
                 
               are sequential starting at this 
             
             
                 
                 
               number. 
             
             
                 
               Job Source 1134 
               The name of the Job Control Host from 
             
             
                 
                 
               which this Job originated. 
             
             
                 
               Failure Count 
               The number of failed serial numbers in 
             
             
                 
               1136 
               this job. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIG. 12 , an illustration is shown of a serialization data display screen  1004  for the console of a replication facility host of the BCA writer serialization management system. 
   A serialization management screen includes the following features: 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Job Status 1102, 
               Clicking on one of these tabs brings 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               the Job Status, Serialization Data, or 
             
             
                 
               Data 1104, BCA 
               BCA Machines screen forward. 
             
             
                 
               Machines 1106 
             
             
                 
               tabs 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               Lists the serial number ranges of all 
             
             
                 
               Range list 1202 
               jobs at this replication facility, and 
             
             
                 
                 
               the status of each range. The status 
             
             
                 
                 
               of each range can be In Process, Good, 
             
             
                 
                 
               or Bad. Multiple ranges may be 
             
             
                 
                 
               selected for the print command. The 
             
             
                 
                 
               ranges may be sorted by clicking on 
             
             
                 
                 
               the Range 1204, Status 1206, or Job 
             
             
                 
                 
               1208 column headings. Double-clicking 
             
             
                 
                 
               on a range switches to the BCA writer 
             
             
                 
                 
               screen positioned to the BCA writer 
             
             
                 
                 
               producing the range. 
             
             
                 
               Print 
               Prints a report of the selected 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               serialization range(s). 
             
             
                 
               Report 1210 
             
             
                 
               Operator ID 1212 
               The ID of the operator who was running 
             
             
                 
                 
               the BCA machine when the selected 
             
             
                 
                 
               range of disks was produced. 
             
             
                 
               BCA Writer ID 
               The ID of the BCA machine that 
             
             
                 
               1214 
               produced the selected range of disks. 
             
             
                 
               Write_time 1216 
               Date/Time that this range was begun. 
             
             
                 
               Job ID 
               The ID of the job for which the 
             
             
                 
                 
               selected range is a part. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   Referring to  FIG. 13 , A BCA Machine Screen is the primary monitoring screen for the BCA machines associated with a replication Host. The BCA Machine Screen allows individual BCA writer statuses to be viewed as well as associated jobs. The BCA writer screen includes the following features: 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               Job Status 1102, 
               Clicking on one of these tabs brings 
             
             
                 
               Serialization 
               the Job Status 1002, Serialization 
             
             
                 
               Data 1104, BCA 
               Data 1004, or BCA Machines 1006 
             
             
                 
               Machines 1106 
               screen forward. 
             
             
                 
               tabs 
             
             
                 
               BCA Writer List 
               A list of all the BCA writers at this 
             
             
                 
               1302 
               replication facility. Selecting a BCA 
             
             
                 
                 
               writer in the list will display 
             
             
                 
                 
               detailed information about it in the 
             
             
                 
                 
               Replication Facility Details portion 
             
             
                 
                 
               of the window. 
             
             
                 
               Writer ID 1304 
               The ID or name of the selected BCA 
             
             
                 
                 
               writer. 
             
             
                 
               Writer Type 1306 
               The type of the BCA writer (currently 
             
             
                 
                 
               Robi or Panasonic). 
             
             
                 
               Writer Internet 
               The internet address of the BCA 
             
             
                 
               Address 1308 
               writer. The format should be in 
             
             
                 
                 
               either a TCP/IP address format 
             
             
                 
                 
               (192.168.100.1) or another format 
             
             
                 
                 
               (panasonic4.herndon.interactual.com) 
             
             
                 
               Communication 
               Count of the communication failures to 
             
             
                 
               Failures 1310 
               the selected BCA writer. Details of 
             
             
                 
                 
               each failure appear in the 
             
             
                 
                 
               communications log. 
             
             
                 
               Clear Log 1312 
               Clear the communication log for the 
             
             
                 
                 
               selected replication facility. 
             
             
                 
               Clear Counts 
               Clear communication failure count 
             
             
                 
               1314 
               field for the selected BCA writer. 
             
             
                 
               Test 
               Tests communications to the selected 
             
             
                 
               Communications 
               BCA writer. The results of the test 
             
             
                 
               1316 
               appear in the communication log. 
             
             
                 
               Communication 
               Log of all communication between the 
             
             
                 
               Log 1318 
               job control host and the selected BCA 
             
             
                 
                 
               writer. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   A job control host database is maintained by each replication facility host. The job control host database is a database of all known Job Control Hosts either remote or local. 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               Job Control Host Database Format 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
                 
               Field 
                 
             
             
                 
               Field Name 
               Type 
               Example 
             
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               Job Control Host ID 
               String 
               Herndon 
             
             
                 
               Internet address 
               String 
               herndon.xyzzy.com 
             
             
                 
               Date/time Created 
               TIME 
               Oct 5, 2000 11:05 am 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   A job/batch database is maintained by each replication facility host, and is a database of production jobs assigned to the replication facility host. The job/batch database contains the current state of each job, the number of batches each job contains, the number of batches already produced, etc. 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               Job/Batch Database Format 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
                 
               Field 
                 
             
             
                 
               Field Name 
               Type 
               Example 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Same fields as Job 
                 
             
             
                 
               Database in Job 
             
             
                 
               Control Host 
             
             
                 
               Job/Batch 
             
             
                 
               specific fields not 
             
             
                 
               sent to Job Control 
             
             
                 
               Host such as 
             
             
                 
               Operator ID 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   A BCA writer database is maintained by each replication facility host and is a database of BCA Writers under control of the replication facility host. The BCA writer database includes the following: 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               BCA Writer Database Format 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
                 
               Field 
                 
             
             
                 
               Field Name 
               Type 
               Example 
             
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               BCA Writer ID 
               String 
               Panasonic7 
             
             
                 
               Type 
               String 
               Panasonic 
             
             
                 
               Internet Address 
               String 
               Panasonic7.herndon.xyzzy.com 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   The following is a description of a preferred serial number structure. This structure supports multiple individual records. Each record immediately follows the previous one on single byte boundaries. The header for the overall BCA number contains a version number and length field for an entire BCA data set, the date and time of serialization, and the BCA writer used. Each individual record then contains an owner &amp; length field, which are standard, followed by owner specific data. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
             
           
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               Field 
               Offset 
               Description 
               Size 
             
             
                 
             
           
           
             
               HEADER 
                 
                 
                 
             
             
               Version 
               0 
               Version number of the overall 
               1 
             
             
                 
                 
               structure 
             
             
               Length of 
               1 
               Length of this entire BCA 
               1 
             
             
               BCA data 
                 
               data set in bytes 
             
             
               Date/Time 
               2 
               Date &amp; Timestamp of actual 
               4 
             
             
                 
                 
               serialization 
             
             
               Facility 
               6 
               Facility in which 
               2 
             
             
                 
                 
               serialization was performed 
             
             
               BCA Writer 
               2 
               BCA machine on which BCA 
               2 
             
             
                 
                 
               written 
             
           
        
         
             
               INDIVIDUAL RECORDS 
             
           
        
         
             
               Owner ID 
               N + 0 
               Source of record 
               2 
             
             
               Length 
               N + 2 
               Length of this record, in 
               1 
             
             
                 
                 
               bytes 
             
             
               Data 
               N + 3 
               Variable depending on owner 
               r 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   The company specific record is an example of one of the above individual records that contains overall information for company specific content, such as InterActual content, on the media, including sub data sets for each individual “title” on the media. Version 1 of the record contains no title specific sub-fields as no known data would exist and space is at a premium. Individual titles are sequential from the serial number of the first “title” on the disc (the serial number in the record). There is reserved space for title specific data in the field. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
             
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               INTERACTUAL SPECIFIC RECORD 
               SIZE 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Owner ID 
               +0 
               Set to 0x0001. 
               2 
             
             
                 
               Length 
               N + 2 
               Length of all 
               1 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               InterActual sub- 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               records. 
             
             
                 
               Version 
               N + 3 
               Version of the 
               1 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               InterActual record- 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               Initial 0x01. 
             
             
                 
               Disc_ID 
               N + 4 
               InterActual Disc 
               3 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               identifier, unique by 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               disc (collection of 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               titles). 
             
             
                 
               Number of 
               N + 5 
               Number of InterActual 
               1 
             
             
                 
               titles 
                 
               titles on the disc. 
             
             
                 
               Ser_Num 
               N + 8 
               InterActual unique 
               6 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               serial number across 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               ALL InterActual 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               titles. If multiple 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               InterActual titles 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               are on the disc this 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               is the first one, and 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               subsequent 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               InterActual titles 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               are incremented by 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               one from this ID. 
             
             
                 
               Signature 
               N + 14 
               Signature field- 
               20 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               signature is across 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               ALL fields in the 
             
             
                 
                 
                 
               InterActual record. 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   
     
       
             
             
             
             
           
             
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               Disk 1 
               Disk 2 
               Disk 3 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Example with One 
                 
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               Title 
             
             
                 
               Owner ID 
               1 
               1 
               1 
             
             
                 
               Length 
               34 
               34 
               34 
             
             
                 
               Version 
               1 
               1 
               1 
             
             
                 
               Disc_ID 
               1001 
               1001 
               1001 
             
             
                 
               Number of titles 
               1 
               1 
               1 
             
             
                 
               Ser_Num 
               780092 
               780092 
               780092 
             
             
                 
                 
               3 
               4 
               5 
             
             
                 
               Signature 
               xxx 
               xxx 
               xxx 
             
             
                 
               Example with 
             
             
                 
               Three Titles 
             
             
                 
               Owner ID 
               1 
               1 
               1 
             
             
                 
               Length 
               34 
               34 
               34 
             
             
                 
               Version 
               1 
               1 
               1 
             
             
                 
               Disc_ID 
               1001 
               1001 
               1001 
             
             
                 
               Number of titles 
               3 
               3 
               3 
             
             
                 
               Ser_Num 
               120001 
               120004 
               120007 
             
             
                 
               Signature 
               xxx 
               xxx 
               xxx 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.