Cross-platform? Really?

[Bob Zelin]

Can I see any problems with this – yea, it wont work. Even with a NEW MAC Pro as your server, and connecting to a current Win XP PC – Apple SMB protocol kind of sucks, and you dont’ get great performance with this. So if you are thinking about building a shared storage network with an old PC you have lying around – forgetaboutit.

Bob Zelin

ps – hey Whitney – weren’t you on “The Hills” ?

[Whitney Pratt]

Much appreciated, but what about your previous thought in the article?…

“Cross-platform? Really? If you want to run the SAN server software on an old PC with a PCIe slot, and connect your shiny new Mac Pros, it should work fine. I haven’t tried this either.”

…funny. Nope, no Hills here.

[Bob Zelin]

ooh – at the time, I said “haven’t tried this either”. Well, we have since then, AND I was refering to having ONE PC client, not a PC server.

Even with Apple XSAN (and you spending over $100,000 to build a proper XSAN system), Apple SMB sucks. This means that sticking a WinXP CLIENT on a MAC server SUCKS, and you will not get the same performance that you get on a MAC using a MAC server.

And as for my original reply to you – using a PC server (even a fancy HP Z800, not your old piece of crap) for a MAC/FCP client to file serve as hi speed – FORGETABOUTIT.

Say hi to Lauren and Heidi.

Bob Zelin

[Simon Blackledge]

But companies do sell stuff that is basically a PC that does running CIFS.

Going to look at some vendors next week and will post up any info.

Si

[Whitney Pratt]

Is it possible to negate the “Managed Gigabit Ethernet switch” and direct connect if I am only going to have a total of three editing machines, and am not worried about upscaling anytime soon. My primary concern in keeping cost low in the interim.

[Chris Blair]

I believe your server would need a quad-port ethernet card or, 3 separate cards teamed together as one. But the short answer is yes, you can direct connect and some NAS based editing facilities connect this way.

Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com

[Bob Zelin]

Whitney –
if you get this to work (old PC server acting as a file server for multiple MAC computers, and playing back full stream video) with no managed switch, no knowlege of how to do this, and no money to work with, then I will personally buy you a little present – anything you like. This will prove that you are very talented.

bob Zelin