Kraken Series

Kraken has come a long way since its introduction into the Haivision solutions portfolio in 2011. Powerful and versatile, Kraken has evolved into a solution that goes far beyond transcoding and has become the linchpin of ISR and defense workflows around the globe. In this paper, we highlight the key functions of Kraken, common challenges addressed in Kraken applications, the range of Kraken software deployment options, and a sample of representative configurations.

Kraken is a comprehensive software-based transcoding, stream routing, and encoding platform that aggregates feeds and optimizes transport of live Full Motion Video (FMV) and metadata. Developed to address the challenges inherent to many ISR video distribution topologies, Kraken deployments can accommodate:

Unpredictable (and limited) bandwidth
Transport constraints are a universal truth in deployed/first mile ISR video contribution systems. Highly flexible video toolchain configurations and streamlined management afford the highest levels of confidence in successful operations.

Preservation of video quality and latency
Maintain high quality video at very low bandwidths in real-time through efficient compression pipelines.

Downstream compatibility
Bridge systems with disparate video capabilities through video CODEC and container manipulation.

KLV metadata processing
Preserve, manipulate or remediate contextual telemetry for exploitation

When it was first introduced ten years ago, the original Kraken use case was purely transcoding; manipulating the codec level parameters of the video stream to accommodate bandwidth transport constraints. The next iteration of Kraken included the capability to change the underlying codec, i.e., taking an H.264 stream input, converting it to an H.265 output while cutting the bitrate roughly in half and maintaining consistent video quality. Today, Kraken is a multi-purpose media pipeline that’s use has expanded beyond transcoding to serve multiple functions in multiple parts of a video ecosystem.