The AIM (Adder Infinity Manager) is a centralised networked management system that allows you to oversee, configure and control the digital Infinity matrix.
Its roles include:
- Providing a web-based management interface, accessible on a wide range of web-enabled devices.
- User access management, with Active Directory support.
- Controls Channel and Preset connections between the transmitters and receivers.
- Monitoring the status of the endpoints.
- Generating the OSD on the receivers, dependant on access rights.
- Full activity audit trails
- Can automatically synchronise with other AIM Managers to ensure uptime in the unlikely event of an AIM failure.
AIM Generations
There have been three generations of AIM Manager.
1st Generation (ALIF-AIM)
The first generation of AIM was released in early 2011. It has since been discontinued, with the latest firmware version at writing being v3.5.
2nd Generation (AIM-24)
Released in May 2015, the second generation AIM offers a faster hardware platform and the ability to upgrade and downgrade the firmware which was previously not possible, only upgrades could be performed. This was achieved using a much larger SSD drive that was split into three partitions, two of which are used for the operating system and the third for saving backup files and firmware. An intelligent bootloader was developed to boot alternately from one of the two operating system partitions, which we call Red and Black. When performing an upgrade, and you are currently booting from the Red partition, for example, the firmware installed in the Black partition. After the upgrade has completed and you reboot the unit as instructed, the boot loader will switch to booting from the Black partition instead. It will switch between the two partitions each time you upgrade. This also has the benefit of being able to revert back to the previous firmware should the need arise.
The hardware platform has allowed us to offer more functionality on the AIM that was previously not achievable on the original, including multi-subnet support which was introduced in firmware v4.1. Due to hardware limitations with the first generation of ALIF endpoints (ALIF1000), the second generation AIM does not support them beyond 4.0. Please see the Infinity Compatibility Matrix to learn more about hardware and firmware compatibility.
Firmware version 4.0.x has a migration feature that facilitates the replacement of the original AIM with the new, with minimal disruption.
3rd Generation (ASP-001)
The latest AIM is based on a newer hardware platform, offering a faster processor, increased storage space, and more memory. It is backward compatible with the 2nd Generation's firmware, so you can downgrade the firmware as far back as version 4.0, allowing the 2nd and 3rd Generation AIM's to work together.
The hardware form factor has changed, allowing you to place two AIM Managers side by side on a 1U rack tray (RMK12). It's SFP Ports enable you to either use CATX or Fibre modules and the LCD display (firmware version dependant) will give you information such as its IP address.
Communication
The following diagram illustrates the communication between the AIM, Transmitters and Receivers in a simple form. The AIM manages and monitors the Transmitters and Receivers, and they, in turn, manage the video, audio, and USB connections between themselves.