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Secure Storage Solution Ideas?
Hello,
I own and operate a small post production and animation company. We are starting to out grow our current storage solution. We’re currently are using a first generation Drobo connected to a switch, set up as a networked drive. (The switch isn’t even Gigabit Ethernet speed)
This solution has served us well as a storage server, but It is getting to point were we need something faster while maintaining the reliability of the “Raid” for our Edit suites.
Our current setup in house is 2 Final Cut Suites, 3 motion graphics workstations, all Macs. We need to be abel to share files faster and be able to securely store lots of large media files.
I’m wondering if anyone can recommend a better, faster solution for us, while not breaking the Bank.
Any Ideas and Knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
Adam
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5 Replies
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you can do a Maxx Digital Final Share, which is ethernet based connection, for about 13 grand – and cheaper if you provide your own MAC Pro to act as a server. You need a MAC Pro, a RAID 5 drive array (not a Dobro), and special ethernet equipment that can make this happen for you. You will be able to do DVCProHD, ProRes422HQ, and uncompressed standard def (but no uncompressed HD).
There are other good solutions as well, and they all advertise on Creative Cow.
Bob Zelin
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13 Grand? I just checked the apple site and it looks like I can get a 6TB Xserve for about 5,500 CAD?
can you elaborate on what I would need exactly. We edit ProRes 422 HQ in house. -
an Xserve is not a shared storage system. Before I elaborate, may I suggest that you contact an Apple reseller, like the Apple Enterprise Group, or a pro dealer that installs Apple XSAN systems. To build an Apple XSAN system, you need two Apple XServe servers, a storage array (from Apple it’s the Promise VTrak, from third party, its Active Storage XRAID), a Fibre card for each computer, fibre cables, fibre transceivers, a QLogic SANbox fibre switch, and a software license of XSAN for each computer.
If you think that you are going to buy an Apple XServe, and have shared storage, you are in dream land.
As I so often say, there are many wonderful companies that participate on this forum – companies like Small Tree, Maxx Digital, Command Soft (Fibre Jet), Apace, Tiger Technologies, Facilis, EditShare, Studio Network Solutions, and even Apple XSAN – all wonderful solutions, all involved, all requiring special knowlege.
But NONE OF THESE is as simple as buying an Apple XServe, hooking up some cables to a switch you buy at office depot, and all of a sudden, you have shared video storage. If you think that this is all it takes, then you are WRONG.
May I suggest that you contact a dealer who builds shared storage systems, or one of the wonderful companies that you see advertise on Creative Cow, or that participate on this forum. If you try to build your home made SAN with an Apple XSERVE and nothing else, you will fail. If you dont’ know what XSAN is, then you are way over your head. You don’t need XSAN, but you need a knowlege of what is out there, and how to do it. The easy way is to hire someone to help you, and there are plenty of wonderful people on this forum, as well as dealers that can help you.
bob Zelin
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Adam,
If you want to contact me privately I would be glad to offer you some different solutions. https://www.johng@maxxdigital.com .Cheers,
John Gyldstrand -
Hi,
You should take a look @ Active Storage. They have solutions starting at 4TB all the way to 16TB, so you have different pricing options.
Their units are the best we have installed.
Let me know if you need further help.
Best
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