Network decisions from Medea

By Larissa Bocharova

Review contents:

Data storage systems for TV Application technology of the uniform disk arrays from Avid Technology Decisions of Ehance Tech company SANStream from Huge Systems DriveBox from JC System Integration VelocityQ and Storage Area Networks (SAN) Network decisions from Medea Palladium architecture SAN/NAS decisions from Raidtec Network storage decisions of Sanbolic Company Storage in the broadcast environment

Disk arrays of the American Medea Company, already known in the Russian market, were recommended itself as fast, reliable and inexpensive systems of data storage.

Due to a good combination of all fundamental parameters the Medea arrays is made the serious competition to other known systems and for this reason now are successfully exploited by many companies as in our country, and abroad.

One of advantages of disk arrays Medea is also that they support the work with any computer platforms (PC, Mac, SGI, Sun) and with the majority of the mediadata processing systems existing today that allows these arrays to be easily integrated in any industrial complex.

Specially created for work with digital media data in applications of nonlinear audio and video editing, DVD-authoring, stream broadcasting and creation of graphic content, these disk arrays distinguishing by various configuration, productivity and volume, allow to solve many tasks, including the creation of inexpensive SAN systems. For such applications the disk arrays Medea VideoRAID FCR and VideoRAID FCRX, and also their new updating arrays VideoRAID FCR2 and VideoRAID FCRX2 are provided for.

VideoRAID FCR

The main feature of the FCR arrays is presence of the built-in Fiber Channel concentrator that allows to connect directly to an array without use of additional external devices, undoubtedly to raise the price of a system.

Having the high-efficiency interface 2 GB/sec Fiber Channel (FC) with built-in three-port (model Medea VideoRAID FCR/FCRX) and the four-port concentrator (model VideoRAID FCR2/FCRX2), these storage systems provide the stream rate up to 95 MB/sec for single-channel model and up to 185 MB/sec for the two-channel model which are mounted in the rack.

Single-channel models on five disks (VideoRAID FCR/FCRX and VideoRAID FCR2/FCRX2) are produced in the cabinets intended both for desktop application, and for installation in the rack (3U). Their volume is 320…1000 GB. Two-channel models (VideoRAID FCRX and VideoRAID FCRX2) on ten disks are produced in the rack only and with volume of 640…2000 GB. It allows to the VideoRAID FCR/FCRX and VideoRAID FCR2/FCRX2 arrays to store 13…26 hours of non-compressed video or 3…6 hours of 10-bit video of high resolution in 1080/60i format. To combine these files in chains, it is possible to receive the general storage volume up to 90 TB that will allow to store up to 1190 hours of non-compressed video!

VideoRAID FCRX2

Due to Multi-Stream Technology using the disk arrays VideoRAID FCR/FCRX and VideoRAID FCR2/FCRX2 can support the reproduction in real time up to seven streams of non-compressed video simultaneously (the number of supported streams depends on system of digital nonlinear editing and a platform on which it works).

As disk arrays are belonged to the fail-safe category (RAID N+1), the arrays VideoRAID FCR/FCRX and VideoRAID FCR2/FCRX2 are not only provided an excellent productivity, but are also offered a very high level of the stored data protection.

The technology of the reliability maintenance of these disk arrays is those, that they remain efficient even at a failure of one of disks. Monitoring system Patrol System available in disk array VideoRAID FCR/FCRX carries out the constant disk checking on any error, providing a high level of reliability and guaranteeing the constant system optimization for achievement of the highest productivity. However in necessary case both disks, and other faulty modules of these arrays, for example RAID-controllers (only of the VideoRAID FCR2/FCRX2 model), may be instantly withdrawn from system and replaced on working one. Model VideoRAID FCRX2 has an additional unit of a supply that under failure allows one block to be switched to another and smoothly to further working. After replacement of the faulty module the system itself in a background mode makes automatic restoration of the working mode of an array. All this considerably raises the operational reliability of disk arrays VideoRAID FCR/FCRX and VideoRAID FCR2/FCRX2 and simplifies process of their modernization.

SAN system based on Medea disk arrays

Each Medea array can be seen by the operation system as one big SCSI disk due to the unique SCSI identifier, that also considerably raises the reliability of data storage.

The arrays Medea Fiber Channel are compatible with wide range of equipment Fiber Channel of Adaptec, Atto, Qlogic, Vixen, and also with the software for the SAN resource management: AccelWare, FiberShare, SANergy and FiberNet and with operational systems Windows NT/2000/XP and MacOS 9/X.

Disk arrays Medea VideoRAID FCR/FCRX are certificated by the majority of the leading companies making the equipment and the software for nonlinear editing, creation of graphic content and stream broadcasting. Among the companies which recommend the disk arrays Medea, it is possible to name the following companies: Accom, Adaptec, Adobe, AJA, Aurora, Apple, ATTO, Avid, BlackMagic, BlueFish 444, Canopus, Digital Voodoo, Discreet, IMC, Incite, in-sync, Leitch, Matrox, Media100, Newtek, Pinnacle, SGI and many others.

All these characteristics enable to use the disk arrays Medea VideoRaid FCR/FCRX for working with various applications of real time which are demanded the high efficiency and large volume of storage, and also with applications for which the creation of working groups for network processing and use of the material stored on a uniform disk array is necessary.

These systems will be well approached to the users which need keenly not only in productive, but also in highly reliable systems of storage.

Material provided by ProVideo Systems Company