Eric Hansen
Forum Replies Created
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If by “Thunderbolt Hub” you mean a box with 1 Thunderbolt IN and multiple Thunderbolts OUT, that does not exist at this time. To do Link Agg 1GbE or 10GbE with a Mac Mini, you will need either a TB to PCIe box with the correct ethernet card, or a TB to 10GbE box like the ATTO NT 1102.
I would say, if you want 10GbE on multiple edit stations, to stick with the 2010 Mac Pro server and SAS. If you’re going with 1GbE to the editors, then the Mac Mini will work. With 10Gb Thunderbolt, you will run out of bandwidth. Just because new Macs can’t use SAS without adapters doesn’t mean you should ditch SAS on the server end. If maintained well, that 2010 server will last for years.
Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
How much speed do you need? What parts of your system aren’t currently working or not working as well as you’d like?
Most of the shared storage systems I’ve built have been a version of what you already have: Mac Pro with OS X Server, SAS storage, Link Agg to 1GbE switch (or 10GbE). What SAS storage do you currently have? I would say add another SAS RAID, maybe switch to 10Gb Ethernet and keep the same Mac Pro server and storage you already have (assuming everything is working fine).
I’ve put together a few Mac Mini/Thunderbolt RAID/10GbE systems already for clients that need something brand new. But if you have a working Mac Pro Tower and already invested in SAS, I would definitely stick with that. SAS is much more mature than Thunderbolt with higher bandwidth and lower latency.
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
Hey Vic
I’m guessing no one has responded because none of us really like Firewire anymore or daisy-chaining in general. One of the worst I’ve ever seen was one editing client that had 8 Lacie external drives daisy-chained by his feet. He had to turn all of them on even if he was only accessing files on 2 of the drives. It was very flaky – drives would randomly unmount themselves. If you touched any of the cables, they would eject. Firewire 800 doesn’t have much bandwidth compared to other current technologies. Your Time Machine drive will take bandwidth away from the other drives during a backup.
It will certainly work, as Firewire was designed to be daisy-chained, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’re much better off having everything in a single enclosure.
As far as how, just run a Firewire cable from drive to drive, assuming they have 2 firewire ports. If any of them are Firewire 400, then everything will slow down to that speed. You will need to turn every drive on, even if you’re not accessing them all.
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
And it’s designed for networked systems with a centralized database. It’s pretty slick and was an easy purchase decision for Brain Farm’s existing 400TB LTO library. It can be crashy though, so you have to be patient at times.
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
Is the block size too small for the files you’re writing?
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
awesome room Chris. I had a similar one at Brain Farm with projection, complete with standing desk, but more often than not the directors would sit back with me and not on the couch. It was better for them because they could see what I was manipulating on the board, and see the power windows on the GUI. Sitting at the couch, they didn’t know what I was doing back there, and would ask things like, ‘did you change it’? Plus, many of them liked geeking out and learning more about the color process. So we built a new room that’s smaller with one large central grading monitor that everyone looks at, and now just use the theater for screenings.
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
I agree with almost everything that Sam says. ProRes is not overkill at all. Remember that ProRes SD is much smaller than HD and works well for this use.
The ProRes concern on the PC side is that PCs can play it (with the codec installed), but they can’t create it. If you’re editing a bunch of ProRes material and then exporting it as something else, then you should be fine.
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
If it’s possible, try to make your grading suite and your office separate. This worked at the last facility I was at. I could pop out of the suite and do post producer stuff in my bright office or sometimes the conference room with large windows. It leaves time for something to render, or for an assistant or editor to work in the suite, while you take care of all the other stuff a working colorist needs to do.
If it’s an all-in-one, like I have now, I second the black-out curtains. just make sure to control the light spill. And check out plants like bamboo that don’t need much light.
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
[Kannan Raghavan] “With the Small Tree TitaniumZ-5, you just hook up the MBPs with a ethernet cable, right? “
Yup. The first time you use it, you have to set it up (which Small Tree support can guide you through, if you need). But after that, it’s plug and play over ethernet.
During my testing, I was getting 600MB/s read and write over 10GbE. So there’s plenty of bandwidth for a laptop or 2 to be writing to the RAID while a few read from the RAID on their 1GbE connections.
My client has had his for 6-9 months. If you want, I could put you in touch with him and he can give you his field-tested experience with it.
Thanks
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv -
I tested the Small Tree TitaniumZ-5 over the summer and it was awesome. It has four 1GbE ports built in. it has a single card slot so you can add more 1GbE or 10GbE ports, or even an SAS card for expansion. It’s about as plug and play as this niche can get. A client of mine bought one for field production for Red Bull events. He uses it almost exactly as you describe.
You could also look at building a shared system around a Thunderbolt RAID, a Mac Mini, a Thunderbolt 10GbE adapter and a 10GbE switch. More expensive and more parts, but very capable and gives you expansion options.
You definitely need to raise your budget though. The TZ-5 is about as inexpensive as you can get without going DIY and building your own NAS.
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Eric Hansen
Production Workflow Designer / Consultant / Colorist / DIT
https://www.erichansen.tv