Aaron Vaughn
Forum Replies Created
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ArcStorage also produces a unified storage solution, meaning we support these protocols on our storage at the same time: Ethernet, NFS/CIFS, 10gbe, iSCSI, Fiber, and Infiniband.
We build our shArc system specifically for video editing, and pricing is very competitive.
We would like to be considered for this list.
Aaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Ahh so they are using PCIe connect over cable, so that makes some sense. PCIe over cable is a great technology and the cost is comparable to 10Gbe connects. That’s a much better option Vs. infiniband, being that you’d still need a network manager for true infiniband being that it doesn’t understand direct connect. As long as they have the technology in place that can understand that connectivity, you may have to write the code to help the communication, but if they can guarantee connectivity, you’ll see much better performance and lower latency.
Accusys has a great product that is very fast and works great with apple products, they have a great reputation for performance for video.
Synology has some decent products, but mostly geared towards a windows storage environment for unstructured data or true NAS Vs. Video performance.The Accusys box although more expensive, may be better geared toward your specific video performance requirements, but the Synology could be a good option, being that it is 10Gbe and as long as it performs to their promised transfer rates, could be better for your budget.
Price/Performance over 10Gbe Vs. Infiniband I take 10Gbe, but prefer infninband (original discussion line)
PCIe over cable will soon become more predominant in the market place, and it is a very viable solution, which provides great performance for the price.
Sorry to be vague on helping you with your decision, but promoting a competitor is not my strong suit! LOL.
Aaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Laurens,
A 40gb infiniband solution does seem to be a bit extreme for a single editing station that you are looking to push 300 Mb/s with. I would recommend using a 10Gbe solution, being that you will be able to sustain a 300 Mb/s transfer rate with 10Gbe. When it comes to pushing data we’ve been able to push 1158 Mb/s over a 10Gbe network with our storage, with ProRes HD Video to 10 editing stations. We used an Arista switch between our storage and the editors for the network build out. The 10Gbe connection should be adequate, as long as the storage that you select can push that amount of traffic.
If you were going to move into a larger environment over time, and the demand for performance Vs. cost is justifiable, then I would see a need for infiniband. With your description of one machine directly connected to the storage array, then I would think that your need for 300 MB/s can be furnished over a 10Gbe network.
Aaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Jay,
ArcStorage has some options for you and we also provide AFP support. We run a unified architecture on a ZFS file system, so you can run NFS/CIFS, iSCSI, FCP, and Infiniband all from the same storage array. We can customize a solution to fit your specific needs. We also build boxes specifically for video editing or VDI deployments. We’ve been able to track 1158 mb/s sustained transfer rate for ProRes HD video to 10 editers off a single array.
ping me with any questions.
Aaron Vaughn
aaron@arctorage.com
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Gayle,
We can build a box for you that would be an ideal solution. We can set up a system for you with 8tb in a 3u chassis, with the ability to expand unto 28 drives in our NAS-Pro box. We would recommend the shArc for video, being that we can put more SSD drives internally into that unit, but the NAS-Pro will be better for a limited budget. Our boxes were developed with video production in mind, and we have had great success, and outstanding performance.
You can price up our NAS-Pro online with the single controller, and if desired, add an expansion unit. The expansion unit can be added at anytime though.Shoot me an email and i’ll give you some more information and data sheets around our products.
Thanks
Aaron Vaughn
801-435-9607
aaron@arcstorage.comAaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Tim,
Bob may be a little gruff, you get use to it and grow to love it! What he’s saying is that just because it can handle storage and share files, does not mean that you can use it as a video editing solution. The storage array’s that he’s listing not only share storage, but also have management software that can handle video editing when you try to pull streams from them. A simple NAS is really designed to just be a storage repository and basically does really good at receiving files. When you edit and need to pull streams off your storage, you need not only horsepower but a hardware solution (ram,ssd,hd) and storage management software that helps increase performance and boosts the streams back to your editing station.
Bob provided a great list, and in the end there are many criteria that can help you make a decision.1. Budget you can afford to spend now, and also factor in support/maintenance for 3-5yrs.
2. Functionality and features (does it just store data or does it have Raid, dedupe data, offer snapshots, can I choose my interconnect technology, can I use it with any back up software, can I use Rsync, does it replicate… etc…) Typically the more features it has, the more expensive it is, but that also means there’s investment protection built in and could be a safer bet long term.3. Ease of use
4. What is the expansion capabilities (will I outgrow it in 5-7yrs)
5. Support (hardware/software/nbd/same day etc)
6. Compatibility (hardware/software)There are quite a few more items that could be added to the list, but all I’m saying is that it may be better for you to spend some time to decide what features you want to have, and see what fits your budget. The worst mistake you could make is to buy a Mustang when you could have bought a Porsche for a few bucks more, and get destroyed at the track!
Put it on the TRACK!
Aaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Tim,
We also carry entry level NAS units that can expand and be used for video editing if you move into that realm for a need. Our entry NAS unit starts at $2449 using your own hard drives and fits 3 drives. Our NAS-Pro holds 4 drives internally, and expands to 28 drives if required. Our array’s also hold SSD drives for read cache to increase performance. If you do need more of a storage array for video editing, our shArc unit is designed for editing. The NAS-Pro can be upgraded to a shArc if all you need is a basic file share for now, but then decided you wanted something to use for editing.
https://www.arcstorage.com you can build a configuration online for pricing, or email me for an official quote. Aaron@arcstorage.comAaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Bob,
We’ve been planning for NAB, and are still working towards getting a booth lined up for the show. We are running on a limited budget, and in order to have a proper booth set up we need to get a size-able booth and have a nice demo unit. If we can’t get those items finalized we’ll probably not have a booth, but we’ll still attend the show.
Aaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
Andrew – ZFS can receive and understand all protocols. CIFS/SMB, NFS, AFP, iSCSI, FC, and once standardized FCoE, all in the same box, without additional licensing*(depending on the vendor) Nexenta charges for FC and HA, as does their resellers. Typically with video we recommend 10Gbe in order to sustain transfer rate and streams.
James, I’ve have to ask one of our video customers to give specifics around video editing software (I’m more of a storage geek). Shoot an email over to info@arcstorage.com, and my CTO Jason would probably know more on that front.
With our version of ZFS (ArcOS) I know that my CTO tuned it specifically for video on our shArc prodcut, so that it has no issues with read/write, and storing data to disk.
When editing, the data resides on SSD with a 1ms latency. You’ll lose a bit of latency depending on interconnect to your client/server/switch network, but the way that ZFS’s L2Arc technology controls datasets and handles transactions, you won’t lose much latency through the storage array (ours or anyone’s using a current code for ZFS).Aaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com -
James,
There are a few things that I can see that would probably benefit you. You could trunk nic ports together to give you a bit more push through your network, but that still won’t solve the latency problem coming from your storage. The storage can only push as fast as the components that are inside and without an optimized storage operating system, there won’t be much that can be done to push it harder. A great and free OS for storage is ZFS (https://openindiana.org/ or https://www.napp-it.org/) If your machine can support and run on this platform, you will be able to take advantage of ZFS’s ability to use what is called Hybrid Storage. Hybrid storage is where ZFS uses multiple pools of different storage mediums to enhance performance of read/write transactions. IE. It will use RAM and SSD drives as a read cache (80% of your transactions) to cache the data and have it immediately available to submit back to your editing station. ZFS also uses copy on write technology to simultaneously write the transactions down to hard disk.
If you combine ZFS with 10gbe NICs in your editing stations, your performance will skyrocket have sustained transfers of at least 300mb/s or higher depending on how much ram/ssd’s you have in your storage array.
As for the LTO question, it’s always nice to have your data in a tape format, but most are going to some form of cloud based or disk based back up. Tape isn’t really dead, but disk based back up solutions have been replacing tape over the past bit of time. You may see more benefit from simply adding larger SATA drives to the existing, as long as you have a primary source for your data, and you use RSYNC or some other type of back up medium to push your primary over to secondary storage, your data should be secure. The nice thing about disk based is that it gives you the ability to mount your production over to the back up if your primary ever did have a failure, which would not be as easy to get back online and much more time consuming if it is on tape.
We have been working with ZFS for over 3 years now, and have seen the advantages of ZFS over traditional storage. We’ve built and sold many solutions to video editors and have seen over 40 streams at once coming from a ZFS array, and have saturated a 10gbe network with 8 editors…. The storage had to wait for the network, which has not typically been the case. With older OS platforms, disk was always the slowest medium. So if you can invest in a new storage array that can properly run ZFS (48gb ram or more, 8-12x SSD @ 120gb, and SATA drives to meet your capacity needs and growth) then I would recommend investing. You would be able to not only meet your production needs today, but also have room to expand and provide at least 5-7 yrs of growth protection.
That’s my $.02
Aaron Vaughn
https://www.arcstorage.com