Anyone in this forum using Avid on non-avid SAN?

[Bob Zelin]

the two well known companies that offer SAN solutions for AVID systems that are not AVID products are Facilis Terrablock and EditShare. Both companies have fully figured out how to handle the multiple .msm mediadatabases that are generated by each Media Composer system (which prevents a generic SAN from working with AVID’s).

Tiger Technology MetaSAN offers AVID virtualization, and both Apace Systems and Studio Network Solutions says that they can handle multiple AVID systems as well. I have not tried any of these on AVID systems. Tiger Tech will let you TRY this out for 30 days, but I suggest that if you are using AVID, and need a working system, that you make phone calls directly to these companies that you are considering and specifically discuss how they handle the AVID management.

Specifically, if you have a generic network (like the one I described in my article), when you launch AVID # 1, it creates a .msm mediadatabase. When you launch AVID # 2, it too creates a file with the SAME NAME, and overwrites AVID # 1’s file (so when you go to use AVID # 1 again, it says MEDIA OFFLINE). If a manufacturer is not specifically addressing this, (or doesn’t know what you are talking about when you discuss this) it means that their product will NOT work with multiple AVID systems.

Bob Zelin

[Daniel Hatch]

Tony,

Apace Systems has extensive collaborative real-time video editing support For Avid.
They support both OMfi and MXF formats and their systems are network storage dealing with small and large scale Avid editing workgroups on PC and MAC based Avid workgroups. Also, if you currently have Avid Unity and want to offload your Avid to their systems they have the option called Unity/ISIS offload(UOL option loaded on top of vStor as a client server software) that allows of intelligent offload and back up of content as well as restore at the PMR workspace aware level as an option.

But if you need just a new file based network storage system, with Multi-GE or 10GE storage vStor on its own will suffice to address your need.
Depending on the model number for example their vStor V3000 series can support 14 DnxHD or 10 10-bit or 20 Dvcpro-HD or 40 Dvcpro-50 per system deployed. Also you can add and cluster more vStor as Lego building blocks adding performance and capacity to your workgroup with time. Apace assures and speed matches your workgroup aggregate stream count need to its network storage appliances. Unlike SAN based implementation this is a file based system with no complicated SAN management software and SAN management per seat Tax. You connect your editing workstations to the system via GE or 10GE connectivity and you are ready to go. All is needed is a low cost Layer 3 switch. All the intercommunication between Avid on PC and Avid on MAC with vStor is handled at the network file system and vStor offer assured compliance with AVID formats per hundreds of deployments worldwide.

I know the owners very well, let me see if I can get a reference for you, off line of course.

Dan

[Daniel Hatch]

Tony,

Found this for you:

Here is a infoStor publication article were Digital FX (end customer used and praised their System with AVID editing and they liked it so much that they vouched for it in this publication. The case study is in the middle section of this article …start from “Improving Workflows” paragraph ….
Greg Milneck is the name of the user.

https://www.infostor.com/article_display/case-studies-storage-stokes-the-creative-process/251029/s-articles/s-infostor/s-volume-10/s-issue-3/s-features/s-storage-in-the-studio/s-1.html

Hope this helps.

Dan

[Tony Mueller]

Thanks Bob,
I have talked to Bernard at Tiger Technology and have some evaluation licenses. Unfortunately, I have too much going on right now to set up a test system.

My plan was of course to use a spare server and a gigabit switch then connect two of my systems just to test connectivity and see if the system worked as designed… preserving the database structure and all. I would have considered it a success if I could capture footage on one system and edit it on the other… one stream at a time would have made me happy with that setup. Just a proof of concept test.

I’ve read your feelings on cobbled-together systems, but this would have only been a test. As for the other systems, I haven’t been as lucky with my information requests, receiving no manuals or brochures explaining how the products deal with Avid sharing. Just the fact that I have downloaded and read… and understood the manuals for MetaLan puts them up front. Plus I could do about 8TB with MetaLan for about 15K as a custom built system.

Tony Mueller
Senior Editor
STL TV

[Tony Mueller]

Thanks Dan,
It does make me a little more confident that a big name studio is using one of the systems I’m thinking about. Since you know the owners, could you see if I can get a copy of the configuration/ setup and operation manuals? A download link would be best. A contact with a user in the St. Louis, Missouri area would be fantastic too.

you can contact me at tmueller73 -AT- gmail -DOT- com

Tony Mueller
Senior Editor
STL TV

[Daniel Hatch]

Tony,

Email me off line and I will give you Jeanclaudes email address. I will also call/email him to let him know you will be in contact. He can also setup a webx, being IP based, to show you the whole interface and what it can do for you.

Dan

danh@towerpower.com

[Tony Mueller]

Thanks Dan,
He emailed me this morning. I’m going to look over the attachments he sent and look for some time to schedule a webex session.

Tony Mueller
Senior Editor
STL TV

[Daniel Hatch]

Tony,

It’s great you 2 hooked up, you will find Apace is very passionate about Video workflow and their product is rock solid!!

Post here and let us know how your webx goes.

Thanks,

Dan

[Bob Zelin]

without link aggregation, a single ethernet cable will be TOO SLOW to allow you to capture and playback (unless you do your tests at DV25).

Bob Zelin

[Tony Mueller]

Did I forget to mention that part? We’re still editing all DV25 here, so that’s what the test will be based on. (If I ever get the time)

Tony Mueller
Senior Editor
STL TV