This is a great time to be a part of the post-production industry, and one of the most exciting aspects of production-house technology is Apple’s new xsan (storage area network). Xsan can have volumes up to 2 petabytes, operates up to 20 times faster than typical network storage and allows editing HD video stored on a central server.
The savings in capture cards and storage can be staggering as Production companies grow. With a SAN you can also add stock footage, sound effects libraries and reels with the space you’ve saved. The savings in time can far outweigh the cost of equipment.
Multiple editors often work on the same project with an assistant or an intern copying files to each system. An assistant editor or intern can lay off footage onto the Storage Area Network (SAN). This allows the assistant or intern to save the company the cost of purchasing extra drives for duplicate media and have more free time to build sound effects libraries or run errands.
Imagine you have 10 Final Cut stations set up to do uncompressed SD and HD. Each suite has two video tape recorders, a really good capture card and a RAID. This can be very costly. With xSAN you can still have 10 Final Cut stations. Instead of having 20 tape recorders, 10 really good capture cards, and 10 RAIDS you end up with two video tape recorders, one really good capture card, nine decent capture cards for monitoring, and an appropriate amount of space on the SAN for storage.
A certain amount of network bandwidth is used controlling file access. In xSAN, a metadata controller (MDC) frees up the Fiber Channel by controlling the read and write access for the files. Xsan uses a separate Ethernet network for metadata. In most cases, this means adding a second network, one for metadata and one for general IP networking, such as web and email access.
You can connect up to 64 systems to one Xsan. The Metadata Controller counts as a node as does the backup metadata controller if one is present (backup metadata controllers help to increase uptime). This allows for 62 possible stations accessing the Xsan.
When using an XSAN it is possible to expand volumes on the server without reformatting the drives. This is possible because of virtualization. Virtualization is a term used to describe the technique of managing and presenting storage devices and resources functionally, regardless of their physical layout or location.
A quota is the amount of space a user can take up on a SAN. A soft quota allows users to continue saving files and warns when they exceed their limit. When they reach the hard quota they are no longer able to save files until the xSAN administrator gives them more space or they remove some files from the SAN.
Implementing an Xsan system typically forces users into a centralized directory structure, which can be hosted on the MDC. You can bind Xsan nodes to Apple’s Open Directory or Windows Active Directory. Directory Services can help secure files and avoid network probelms. Directory Services can also give administrators the ability to implement stringent desktop policies such as those required by the MPAA.
XSan can do a lot and will change the way many Final Cut editors work. If you have any questions about Xsan systems or integration, just call Three18 at 310-581-9500. Work smarter, not harder.
