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Technology > The AVFS > The DDP & the AVFS: Superior Solutions |
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DynamicDrivePool: SAN performance with NAS simplicity and functionality It was only natural for Ardis Technologies as iSCSI experts to take on a project development which combines the benefits of both technologies into one product: the DynamicDrivePool; because iSCSI exclusively uses Ethernet there suddenly is only one network infrastructure to consider; standard Ethernet with standard Ethernet switches. Figure 1 illustrates this. Because the DynamicDrivePool is build using off-the-shelve computer components Ardis Technologies also decided to simplify matters one step further by integrating the metadata handling in the DDP as well. So there it is: the DDP, a storage server which connects to standard Ethernet and provides high bandwidth project and file level based sharing for applications such as those from Avid, Apple, Adobe, Matrox, Digidesign, Merging, Nuendo, Sequoia, Fairlight and others all out of one box. What about video bandwidth requirements exceeding 100 Mbyte/sec? The bandwidth over one 1GbE connection up to 100 meter is as high as 100 Mbyte/sec with standard Cat 5e, 6 or 7 copper cable with RJ45 connectors. A close look at the table shows that the video format with the highest data rate currently in use is: RGB, 10 bit, 4:4:4 with a bandwidth of approximately 180 Mbyte/sec. To be able to guarantee the customers a complete and secure grow path without loosing any of the workflow simplicity in the video domain the DynamicDrivePool has the capability to work with multiple GbE ports per desktop. What about the peculiarities of various post production applications? Some of the applications in Video, Film and Audio have specific requirements which would normally block project and file level based sharing. Taking care of these peculiarities was also one of the requirements of the AVFS/iSCSI system. What does the DynamicDrivePool mean for Film? The table (as shown here)also shows bandwidth requirements of applications used in the film domain. Particulary the Digital Intermediate formats: 2K and 4K. It is obvious that any of these formats require a 10 GbE Ethernet infrastructure. Depending on the version chosen, the DynamicDrivePool can be delivered with either up to 14x 1GbE ports, up to 4x 10 GbE ports or combinations of these. By using DDP+EX versions to which DDP16DEX storage arrays can be attached also clients using 2K film can be added to the system again broadening the horizon of project and file level based sharing. What about Audio? In contrast with what many people believe the data throughput bottleneck with audio is almost never the network infrastructure. Even one 1GbE connection can accommodate over 500 tracks of 24 bit, 48 KHz uncompressed audio. Because of the huge number of tracks which comes into play when several DAW'a are used the seek time of the drives eventuall becomes the limiting factor. Since also audio applications are not as data hungry as video or film the best advice one can give is that it is better to select a DDP with lower capacity drives (250 GB for example) and more of these then less drives with higher capacity. Which applications can benefit from the DynamicDrivePool? All applications from Avid, Apple, Adobe, Matrox, Digidesign, Fairlight and applications used for coloring or editing for film and all other audio applications benefit from the DDP. Depending on the proper MXF format chosen and AAF support project can even be interchanged between these applications without having to copy or convert the media data. The DynamicDrivePool can be considered the basic requirement for any company who wants to have the ability to interchange projects between applications from different manufacturers. |
 
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