cross platform archiving

[Tim Jones]

Hi Herb,

BRU is the most cross platform archival and backup application out there. It’s available on every Operating system available with the exception of OS/400 and OpemVMS. Additionally, archives / tapes created with BRU on one platform are directly recoverable on another. While we don’t sell a Windows-specific version, we do have options for restoring files via network or directly onto a Windows system.

Tim
—
Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.productionbackup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters!

[Herb Sevush]

[Tim Jones] “BRU is the most cross platform archival and backup application out there. It’s available on every Operating system available with the exception of OS/400 and OpemVMS. Additionally, archives / tapes created with BRU on one platform are directly recoverable on another. While we don’t sell a Windows-specific version, we do have options for restoring files via network or directly onto a Windows system”

Tim –

I’m not sure I understand this. When I originally went shopping for an archiving solution I spoke to someone at Tolis. I explained that I was on OSX now, in a stand alone video editing system, but I needed to use something that I could migrate to windows with, because I expect to switch platforms in the next year or two. I was told that there wasn’t anything that was cross platform with OSX and Windows, but that the basic server software was cross platform with OSX and Linux, and when I migrated to windows I could just boot to Linux and use that for archiving. While not ideal, i figured it was my best option. Does Tolis have something that is cross platform between OSX and Windows that I should be using now?

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf

[Tim Jones]

Hi Herb,

While our BRU Server platform is mainly aimed at the OS X platform, BRU Server will provide full service for every platform that you use – including native Windows. While the server system itself (where the tape drive is attached) must be Linux, OS X, or FreeBSD, the agents are available for most every platform going today (and a few esoteric old timers).

You can easily archive data from any system to disk stage, tape, or both with easy restores from any archive to any authorized client system – meaning that you could backup assets from a Windows desktop or server and restore them fro use to an Unity ISIS on a Mac (or even a Firewire disk…). The other direction works as well. And, since all archives are compatible across all platforms, there’s no issue with data compatibility or filesystem discrepancies. An MXF is an MXF is an MXF … therefore, sharing data between NLE’s and compositors on different platforms is as easy as restoring the needed clips.

Additionally, BRU Server integrates directly with CatDV server and DAX FFA for total tape based archival and management of your assets and data in a manner that allows access even outside of the CatDV environment should the need arise.

If you would like to take a closer look, visit us at to download a fully functional, 30 day demo and see how easy all of this stuff can really be.

Tim
—
Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.productionbackup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters!

[Tim Jones]

Ugh – that opening sentence should have read:

While our BRU Producer’s Edition platform is mainly aimed at the OS X platform, …

Tim
—
Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.productionbackup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters!

[Herb Sevush]

[Tim Jones] “If you would like to take a closer look, visit us at”

Tim, I’m already a customer. I bought my drive and the server software from you a few months back and it’s working fine in my OSX environment.

My issues are about my future migration path. Since the BRU Server itself doesn’t operate in windows, and since I’m not on a network, but am strictly a stand alone type of operation, if/when I switch to a Windows based system my only option is to use BRU Linux for archiving. This is not ideal for me,I’ve never used Linux before, but as far as I know you don’t currently have a Windows based server so this is my only option.

A question I have is when I make the switch over to Windows / Linux will I be able to migrate all the archiving info that I will have built up on my OSX system?

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf

[Tim Jones]

I understand the logic with the Windows move – however, I did just breath new life into 2 of my 5,1’s by replacing the video cards with new 2GB Quadros and upping the RAM to 32GB. It’s like having completely new systems :-). Both Premiere and FCP X fly.

Absolutely on the move of the data and environment – that’s a big one for us.

However, a thought on the move from OS X to Windows – will you need to get rid of your Mac Pro system? As an option, you could repurpose the Mac to backup / archive management and let BRU Server run on the Mac to protect the Windows system and your new environment. This also means that your existing infrastructure doesn’t need to shift – zero learning curve.

Tim
—
Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.productionbackup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters!

[Herb Sevush]

[Tim Jones] ” Both Premiere and FCP X fly.”

Discussing FCPX with some of us crotchety old editors is a quagmire we shouldn’t get into.

[Tim Jones] “a thought on the move from OS X to Windows – will you need to get rid of your Mac Pro system? As an option, you could repurpose the Mac to backup / archive management and let BRU Server run on the Mac to protect the Windows system and your new environment. This also means that your existing infrastructure doesn’t need to shift – zero learning curve.”

Since I will be maintaining the MAC for legacy FCP projects for years to come this would be fine. However can I operate the BRU software on the MAC while the LTO drive is direct attached to a PC? The idea of leaving the LTO on the MAc and backing up Terrabytes of material over an ethernet connection is not something I would look forward to.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf

[Tim Jones]

I was the same ornery way with my FCP 7, but time and use has a way of wearing one down. Plus, FCP 7 doesn’t really take advantage of anything but the memory. Now, if Smoke 13 would quit crashing on my main system so I could do a real test …

Back to the archival workflow, for the Windows to Mac transfers, since the LTO-5 only runs at 140MB/sec, you’re only losing about 30MB/sec over GbE. It’s still a lot faster than Firewire :-). Plus, if you’re using a storage array for your media files, you could direct connect to the Mac as a way to speed that process up.

It really depends on the direction that you take once you dedicate to making the move and decide on the storage architecture.

Once you get close, drop me a note and let’s look at the options.

Tim
—
Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.productionbackup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters!

[Jeremy Garchow]

I’d like to add, Herb. I don’t have a BRU, but I do have LTO and all our archives are done via ethernet.

I couldn’t care to guess, but it’s somewhere north of 70TBs I have archived (maybe more) and I’m sure dozens of TBs restored.

This is all copied from my main storage devices (which was multiple local storage but is now a SAN) to a staging area on the LTO drive itself, and BRU will work a bit differently than that, but the idea is the same. I can restore straight to the SAN via ethernet which it sounds like you can do.

I also have LTO4 (not 5) so it runs between 70-90 MB/sec.

It works just fine.

I use Shotput Pro to do verified copies to the staging area.

Don’t worry about the ethernet transfers. You can only archive 1.5TBs at a time anyway.

Jeremy

[Tim Jones]

[Jeremy Garchow] “Don’t worry about the ethernet transfers. You can only archive 1.5TBs at a time anyway.”

Jeremy,

Herb doesn’t have that single tape capacity issue :-). You should look at BRU – we’ll write to as many tapes as you need in a single op.

Tim
—
Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.productionbackup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters!