NAS for animation…?

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Morton,
Is that what you use at your company?
Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
maxavid@cfl.rr.com

[Morten]

No we use a Macpro server with an old X-Raid, resharing through a SmallTree ethernet server card, using normal AFP protokol – which works well but has limited space. So yes we have considered a dedicated NAS solution, and we have just purchased a SAS connected LTO5 drive, with BRU PE software, that makes large backups so easy to accomplish…

– No Parking Production –

2 x Finalcut Studio3, 2 x Prod. bundle CS6, 2 x MacPro, 2 x ioHD, Ethernet File Server w. X-Raid…. and FCPX on trial

[Bob Zelin]

your solution would be a much better solution for young Doug Nash, who is working out of his house with his wife, trying to make a living. Putting together a simple system that works with AFP is a wiser choice for him than buying the ProMax Platform. What you have done Morton, works well for many people.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
maxavid@cfl.rr.com

[Alex Gerulaitis]

[Bob Zelin] “Putting together a simple system that works with AFP is a wiser choice for him”

Second that. One of my clients, who bought several DAS boxes of various sizes, does exactly that for shared storage:

– Mac Pro (or even old xServe) – $1K-3K
– RAID controller $800
– DAS 24-64TB with speeds ~ 600MB-1.2GB/s – $3-8K
– Optional: Small-Tree 10GbE cards, Netgear 10GbE switch ~ $4-5K for three systems

The above DAS shared over AFP via Mac Pro is a fairly robust, expandable, customizable, scalable shared storage solution that can be put together using an older Mac Pro for under $5K total.

Then of course you’d have to muck with it to make it work or hire Bob Zelin for the purpose. 🙂

[Morten]

I can truly comply that an AFP solution, while not as fast as a dedicated NAS Unix based server solution, is very easy to operate and reliable. The reason that we have started looking for an alternative solution is that the quotes we have received for updating our FC-storage have been high.

So now our choice is between a storage solution en par with the Promax Platform Studio, and an EONSTOR Raid system with 12 SATA or SAS disks, and with FC connection to the Mac Server.

Would like some advice if it is worth shelling out the extra costs for SAS disks vs. SATA?

– No Parking Production –

2 x Finalcut Studio3, 2 x Prod. bundle CS6, 2 x MacPro, 2 x ioHD, Ethernet File Server w. X-Raid…. and FCPX on trial

[Bob Zelin]

I’ve been doing shared storage since April 2008, and I have NEVER uses a SAS drive in any of my installations. I am not saying that they are not better, more reliable, etc. – I just never used them, and I never saw any company that I know use them either.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
maxavid@cfl.rr.com