Fcp and Isis

[Christopher Lowden]

Dear Mark
I am very happy to not be considered to be a complete idiot. I can confirm to you that I am a complete idiot. If not I would not need the advise of so many of you generously offer on this forum.

Concerning my experience on XSAN, I know of an xserve that serve up the IT needs of a large advertising agency with 500 clients and it work reasonably well. My problem is that IT is non-critical and the XSAN I am talking about supplies media for numerous live TV shows. There is not a week that goes bye without a system crash. When I call Apple, they have no real answers and I get the impression that it is not a priority for them. If I had the same apple care service for the xsan that I get for my iphone, I would be a very happy camper.

I look forward to see what FCP8 is as it will give me an idea as to what the future of FCP is. Apparently it is really impressive.

[Andrew Richards]

StorNext MDCs. Quantum’s support is excellent and enterprise is all they do. Night and day versus Apple’s Xsan support. Plus it opens you up to more features like HSM, replication, and you could even look into Marquis Medway to let your Avids hook in.

Best,
Andy

[Bob Zelin]

Christopher writes –
I can confirm to you that I am a complete idiot.

REPLY –
well Christopher, I am a complete idiot too. The only thing I am smart about is that I know that I have to choose a company that has GREAT SUPPORT – and let me tell you, Apple Enterprise is not one of them. This is why I can’t understand why you insist on relying on Apple.

Companies like Active Storage, Quantum, Infortrend, etc, etc, etc. have DRAMATICALLY better support than Apple ever had – this is why there are so many independent guys that make a living doing this stuff – because Apple never did it properly. Apple sells iPads, not enterprise solutions. It’s the independents that made XSAN possible, not Apple. And this is why there are SO MANY shared storage solutions on the market today – because Apple dropped the ball, and everyone else from Facilis to Editshare, to Active, to pidley me, took advantage of this fact.

My example is similar to people that still think that they are in a large company and have to rely on IBM support for their PC networks ? Who would do that ?

Bob Zelin

[Christopher Lowden]

Many thanks to you all for your advice. I am definitely less ignorant now.
I am not an engineer but a workflow consultant, so I juggle user problems whilst developing future proofing solutions for both production and post-production.
What comes out of this is that my client needs to reassure its TV channel clients that it can guarantee delivery. Companies like Avid reassure TV channels that there will not be any surprises. Personally, I know Avid very well but I find that their servers are very expensive and do not offer a cost effective failover solution. Therefore, I am looking for a compromise. The XSAN could have been a real alternative except it seems that Apple is not too bothered.

Bob, there is nothing piddley about what you do. You are at the front end of one of the most important and exciting parts of the audio-visual industry. On top of that, you are one of its most generous and well informed specialists.

Below is a non exhaustive list of server solutions that could be considered as ‘professional’ or ‘enterprise’ level.

Apple – XSAN
https://www.apple.com/xsan/

Active Storage
https://www.activestorage.com/activesan.php

Quantum
https://www.quantum.com/Solutions/Broadcast/index.aspx

Rorke
https://www.rorke.com/products-hyperdrive.cfm

Apace Systems
https://www.apacesystems.com/index.php

Promax
https://www.promax.com/Solutions/ProStorageSolutions/

Editshare
https://www.editshare.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=131

Terrablock
https://facilis.com/

Avid
https://www.avid.com/US/products/family/ISIS

DVS
https://www.dvs.de/en/products/storage-solutions.html

Archion
https://www.archion.com/prod-main.php

DDP
https://www.dynamicdrivepool.com/

Isilon
https://www.isilon.com/media-entertainment

[Michael Kammes]

Hey Bob-

Avid ISIS supports bonding on the client side – 2 single GIGe ports at the time. Don’t what else to tell you other than it works, and Avid supports it. It’s gotta be some voodoo with the ISIS client software on the client side, and using the qualified Intel Pro NIC cards.

Avid even calls out on their spec page that dual link 1GigE ports are qualified.

~Michael

.: michael kammes mpse
.: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
.: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
.: michaelkammes.com
.: twitter: @michaelkammes
.: facebook: /mkammes

Hear me pontificate: Speaking Schedule .

[Michael Kammes]

Ahh, here it is:

https://www.avid.com/US/products/ISIS5000/features

Dual Gbit link

Support for load sharing across two 1GBit Ethernet ports (except DC model.

This works when going through a Force 10 switch, NOT direct connected to the ISIS itself.

~Michael

.: michael kammes mpse
.: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
.: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
.: michaelkammes.com
.: twitter: @michaelkammes
.: facebook: /mkammes

Hear me pontificate: Speaking Schedule .

[Neil Sadwelkar]

Bob,

I think it’s piddly, not pidley.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Christopher Lowden]

I think you are right.