FCP storage and using Sata SAN

[Walter Biscardi]

[David Groves] “Using this type of storage would it be possible to run 6 streams of uncompressed HD”

That would require approx. 250MB/s x 6. I don’t know of any array currently that can put out that kind of bandwidth.

Remember, the bandwidth on any array is fixed. When you divide that bandwidth between edit stations, the bandwidth is also divided. So if your array is 500MB/s like our EVO HD’s, that’s the maximum data throughput we can get, each workstation will tap in to that 500MB/s.

So if I have three workstations and one is running Uncompressed HD, the other two workstations now have 250MB/s of bandwidth left to use.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!

[Michael Bloodgood]

You can only get 10 gigabit with 10 gigabit Ethernet HBAs which would be far more expensive than an entire Fibre SAN for 25 users. As for six streams of uncompressed HD, Walter is right in that there is no one array capable to deliver the 1500 MB/s. You could build a SAN using XSAN or RUSH’s SAN development (I can’t remember its name) using dual 4 gig Fibre to all hosts and about three to four arrays (example: the array by Promise). If you were to build it yourself, the cost of components would be about 45 grand.

Or you could get an EVO HD for each station which would deliver six streams of Prores for a grand total of 15 grand but you would lose the shared storage capability.

Michael Bloodgood
Senior Editor
Horizon Entertainment Group

Ah yes, the laser fields