Digital Video - October 2007 - (Page 46)

FOUR PRINCIPLES OF STORAGE EXTRA EXPANSION The RAID storage experts at Santa Clara, Calif.-based Infortrend now offer two new 24-bay, 4Gb Fibre Channel (4G-FC) to SATA-II RAID arrays: the EonStor (ES) A24F-R2430 redundant controller subsystem and ES A24F-G2430 single controller system. These subsystems offer high-capacity, cost-effective SATA drives with a 4G-FC host interface that doubles bandwidth over the previous 2G-FC interface. EonStor A24F features include a speed greater than 700MBps in sequential read mode, multi-lane SAS expansion channels that connect to ES S16S-J1000 JBODs for massive storage capacity, support for up to 56 drives using the A24F redundant controller and two JBODs, and support for up to 88 drives using the A24F single controller system and four JBODs. www.infortrend.com multiplier enclosures with the appropriate chipset can enable redundancies through the device’s software controls. I am partial to RAID systems from CalDigit (www.caldigit.com). Newcomer Dulce Systems (www.dulcesystems.com) also markets these more failsafe solutions. Both vendors are keenly attuned to the needs of video producers. Do-it-yourselfers can also purchase enclosures with RAID controllers, but of course, without the assurances and support of a dedicated single source vendor. These are recommended for those who are short on budget, long on patience and high on risk. In a future article, I will take you step by step through the building and implementation of a homemade RAID 10 system. Whatever RAID scheme one uses, it allows for the rebuilding of the RAID after a drive failure. The RAID 6 schemes from CalDigit and Dulce Systems even allow for an additional drive failure during rebuilding. The combination of RAID levels, frequent backup of critical files, good drive environments free of heat and dust, and sometimes just plain luck represent the safest ways to prevent catastrophe—or at least temper its effects—when Storage Principle No. 1 strikes. There you have it. Drives Fail. They can and will fail when least expected. Clone your system drive for easiest restoration. Invest in hardware and software to help with the job. It’s a minor invest- ment when compared to the all-too-real possibility of losing essential creative assets. STORAGE PRINCIPLE NO. 4: We can’t predict the future, but we can prepare for it. DV Ned Soltz is a filmmaker, consultant, trainer and writer based in Arlington, Tx. He’s also a contributing editor to DV’s sister publication, Videography. SWEETNESS Chatsworth, Calif.-based Dulce Systems recently unveiled its HD Commander, which supports high-speed data transfers of 250MBps through an eSATA port, allowing it to handle 10-bit/8-bit uncompressed HD, 10-bit/8-bit uncompressed SD, DVCPRO HD and DV, and Apple ProRes 422 video formats. The HD Commander features five SATA hotswappable drives with Port Multiplier and a one-cable design that allows multiple drives to be connected to a SATA controller via a single eSATA cable. It is bundled with a PCIe or PCIx controller that is expandable to connect up to 20 SATA drives and is compatible with Windows XP, Apple Mac OSX, Final Cut Studio and Premiere Pro. The device runs as low as $1,988 for 1.25TB, expandable up to 5TB. www.dulcesystems.com AVID EXCHANGE From its HQ in Burbank, Calif., Archion offers the Synergy LS, an extension of its award-winning Synergy HD storage system and specifically designed for Avid LANshare users. The Synergy LS comes in a 4TB unit (expandable to 8TB), with two ports supplying two gigs of storage each. Engineered to expand the storage requirements of existing LANshare clients without the need to replace or upgrade their current infrastructure, the Synergy LS extends the usable life of current systems. Synergy LS is fully compatible with Archion’s Alliance and Synergy products. Its hardware RAID protects media in the event of a drive failure without the need to mirror. Archion also announced that its Synergy HD and Synergy HD4 solutions are now compatible with the Avid Unity MediaNetwork 5.0 storage system. www.archion.com 46 dv october 2007 www.dv.com http://www.caldigit.com http://www.dulcesystems.com http://www.infortrend.com http://www.dulcesystems.com http://www.archion.com http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - October 2007

Cover Contents Letters DV Update R&D Fest Circuit Light Brigade Follow Focus Shootout Image Conscious Instant Expert Close-Ups Eastern Europe Exploit Call of the Wild Four Principles of Storage Storage Media Production Diary

Digital Video - October 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.