Medea VideoRAID
By Anatoly Shumakov, Larise Bocharova

The systems of storage of the American company Medea Corporation are the not expensive hardware-based disc RAID arrays optimized for the storage of sound and video materials. They are assigned for the use in the work complexes based on the different computer platforms (Mac, PC, SGI) for the processing and streaming broadcasting of the digital media materials, formation of the complex two/three dimensional graphics and animation, automation of broadcasting, etc.

Medea VideoRAID are certified by a large number of the companies-producers and are recommended for the operation with the majority of the video graphic systems of D1, DV, MJPEG formats and with the sound and video editing blasters online, and with the blasters of digital effects: Reality/Velocity (DPS); RT2500, RTMac, the family of DigiSuite (Matrox); all the Canopus systems; DC and DV series; Pro-ONE; Reel-Time Nitro, Targa 3000; Cinewave SD; Cinewave RT (Pinnacle); StrataSphere; WSD/HD; Affinity (Accom); D1 Desktop; D1 Desktop 64RT, D1 Desktop 64 AV (Digital VooDoo); Xpress; Xpress DV; Media Composer; Symphony (Avid); Igniter; LT; RT; SDI; Film: Studio (Aurora); Video Toaster 2 (NewTek); VideoPump SD and VideoPump SD (Optibase); systems based on the workstations 02, 02+, Octane, Octane 2 (SGI), etc.

The Medea arrays have the interface Wide SCSI and operate with the standard controllers SCSI (Adaptec, LSI, etc) and well as with the integrated controllers fixed on the platforms of nonlinear editing (for example, Matrox DigiSuite, dpsReality). At the use of the two-channel controllers Ultra2 SCSI the Medea arrays might operate with the applications assigned for the processing and editing of multistream uncompressed video of standard resolution and video of high resolution.

Each Medea array is seen by the operative system as one big SCSI disc with the single SCSI identificator what sufficiently increases the reliability of the data storage. The integration of the Medea disc arrays into the chain what would sufficiently increase the general storage capacity is possible. Medea VideoRAID do not require the difficult installation. Some of them appear as the finished desktop arrays (VideoRAID series) another are assigned for the editing into the special stanchion (VideoRACK series).

In spite of that the Medea arrays are the brand-name systems they are the serious competitors for the standard disc systems based on the IDE Raid controllers (FastTrak, HotRod, etc) due to the best speed operation factors, comfort of use and relatively low cost besides the systems on the SCSI discs integrated in the unit array by means of Windows NT or Windows 2000 and allow operating at the high productivity needed for the contemporary systems.

Not so long ago the Medea Corporation had throughly renewed the line of equipment with the taking into account of all the contemporary requirements to the systems of information storage and stopped producing the old fashioned systems. Now the Medea arrays are produced in the series; VideoRaid SCSI/RT; VideoRack LP; VideoRaidRTR/RTRX/FCR/FCRX; Audio Rack LP.

The arrays of the RAID level 0 (VideoRaid SCSI/RT, VideoRack LP)

This is already the well known and checked in the operation disc arrays with the SCDI interface that represents the economic and effective decision for the data storage. By providing the general capacity of the storage of the up to 14 TB (in a chain) and the data flow up to 130 MB/sec they are assigned for the operation with the one and two-streamed systems on nonlinear editing:

• VideoRaid SCSI is an inexpensive decision for the operation with one or two flows of data in the DV and MJPEG format. It is produced in the form of two disc arrays with the maximum data flow of 30 MB/sec, the four or six discs arrays with the maximum flow of 40 MB/sec/ The capacity of the single VideoRAID SCSI arrays might be joint up to 960 GB at the time when the maximum capacity of the in order connected arrays might reach 14 TB;
• VideoRaid RT is the inexpensive decision in the compact desktop case (for four or six discs) for the operating with two flows of MJPEG and one flow of the uncompressed video that is character for the systems of high level with the flows of up to 75 MB/sec and capacity of up to 720 GB (up to 13 TB in the chain);

• VideoRack LP array

  VideoRack LP are assigned for the operation with the systems of nonlinear editing. These inexpensive arrays are realized in the separate body for the 19" rack mount. They provide the data flow of 65 MB/sec and the capacity of up to 480 GB for the block with the opportunity of joint up to 9 TB.

The Arrays of the Excess Reserving (VideoRAID RTR/RTRX/FCR/FCRX)

These are the new arrays that appeared at the end of 2001. Their important feature is the full RAID security of data, that means that even in the case of falling out of one disc the system would be able to finish the operation with the file without the loss of data or the flow decrease. Such a peculiarity of the new Medea arrays allows operating with the online systems without the loss of productivity and without the necessity of the immediate change of the fallen out disc stacker.

VideoRAID RTR/ VideoRAID RTRX

In the arrays of the VideoRAID RTR/ RTRX series is used the technology of the Media Multi-Stream Technology which is the high adaptive technology of the buffering of data. It allows analyzing the external requests and to configure dynamically the data flows using the large volume of buffer storage (up to 128 MB) for the achieving of the maximum efficiency and productivity. By using the MST technology the Medea RTR/ RTRX arrays can maintain the reproduction of three flows of uncompressed video at the same time online. All the Medea RTR/ RTRX arrays have the changing discs modules and the power supply unit and the RAID controller with the opportunity of the 'hot' change. The RTR arrays series is accomplished with the highly productive external Ultra 160 SCSI interface what provides the data flow of up to 130 MB/sec for the desktop models and over 200 MB/sec for the two-channeled rack mount models. Such productivity allows recording and reproduction of the ten-unit video at the HDTV-1080i HD without any problems.

The general characteristics of these arrays:

VideoRAID RTR redundant reservation array

• VideoRaid RTR: the capacity of the arrays that accommodate five discs can vary in the 160...480 GB on the single module limits. The modules can be connected parallel what provides the increase of productivity and capacity of the system (for example, by the parallel integration of only two modules the flow of 130 MB/sec might be achieved what allow operating with the video of the HD clearness and realize the reproduction online of up to three flows of the uncompressed video). The general capacity of the array of the one-channeled SCSI controller might achieve 9TB what is equal to more than 100 hours of the uncompressed video;
• VideoRaid RTRX are one and two-channeled arrays of the height of just 3U and containing 5...10-disc modules assigned for the rack mount. This array provides the capacity of up to 960 GB and maintains the speed of over 200 VB/sec. That is more that enough by the productivity for the support of the extracting of ten-unit video format 1080i and reproduction of the three flows of video of D1 quality on the channel.

VideoRAID FCR/ VideoRAID FCRX

The Medea Corporation had developed its success on the market of arrays for the digital video by offering concurrently with the Medea RTR/RTX also the inexpensive decisions based on the fiber optic technology. The new VideoRaid FCR arrays (desktop case) and VideoRaid FCRX (19" rack mount) are also based on the MST technology that is used in the RTR series arrays. The fiber optic Medea arrays have the external interface FC-Arbirated Loop (cooper) and provide the carrying capacity of up to 95 MB/sec (the two-channeled FCRX arrays up to 160 MB/sec). The VideoRAID FCR/ FCRX arrays as the arrays of the RTR series totally meet all the contemporary requirements to the data security what allows using them as the central element of the broadcasting complex based on the perspective fiber optic technologies. The arrays of the FCR series are the inexpensive and highly productive decision for organization of the professional systems of the nonlinear editing operating with the uncompressed video and for the systems realized on the base of the SAN technologies, where as the main disc array with an opportunity of concurrent access on it to the stored data from the few workstations at the same time is used. The main feature of the arrays of the FCR series is the presence of the in-build fiber optic thickener, what allows connecting the editing stations directly to the array without the use of the additional external facilities which for sure make the system more expensive. The Medea Fibre Channel arrays are compatible with the large assortment of the fiber optic production Adaptec, Atto,Qlogic, Gadzoox, Vixen and with the software of the resource control SAN (AccelWare, FiberShare, SANergy, and FibreNet), also with the operation systems Windows NT, Windows 2000 and MacOS. The high speed of the data transfer, the stability and reliability in operation allow using of the Medea Fibre Channel arrays almost in all of the contemporary systems of nonlinear editing (Matrox, DRS, Pinnacle, Accom, Avid, etc.).

The characteristics of these arrays are the following:

• VideoRaid FCR are the one-channeled desktop arrays that include up to five discs with an opportunity of a 'hot' change, provide the capacity of storage up to 480 GB and the capacity of the data flow up to 95 MB/sec. They use the fiber optic interface and have the in-build triple-ported thickener. These are the effective and inexpensive systems assigned for the use as the single array of the data storage at the organization of the network working groups based on the SAN. Having such a general array all the workstations of the network fulfilling different functions of the video processing, preparing of the graphic, control of the system and broadcasting have an opportunity of the concurrent access to all of the material stored on general array what sufficiently simplifies and quickens the work on the editing and video plot output, advertising and other video programs. With the use of the FC-AL connection the capacity of the chain of 126 arrays can achieve 37 TB what accounts for more than 400 hours of the uncompressed video;
• VideoRaid FCRX are the one and two-channeled arrays with the fiber optic interface for the rack mount, are 3U high, and can include 5...10 discs with an opportunity of the 'hot' change that provides the storage capacity up to 960 GB and the flow speed of 95...165 MB/sec.

AudioRack

The AudioRack LP arrays for which the use of the hardware-based build in RAID controller and the AST technologies (Audio Stripe Technology) is typical for the support of the identical data flow at all of the disc array volume are assigned for the use with the workstations of editing and recording of the sound. As the VideoRaid these arrays have the external interface U2/LVD Wide SCSI and operate with lots of standard controllers SCSI (Adaptac, ATTO, Qlogic, etc) providing the best speed characteristics in their class of the facilities. They are made in the view of the separate body of the height of only 1RU for the rack mount 19" and maintain up to 64 channel of the digital 24-unit sound with the sampling frequency of 96 kHz. The capacity of the arrays can achieve 480 GB what allows recording of more than 1400 hours of sound.

In the end it is necessary to say that the disc Medea arrays for the relatively long period of time have been well-known all over the world and have well recommended themselves among the professionals in the field of audio, TV and video production. They are by right consider one of the best decisions for the storage of the large volumes of media data what confirms and the big amount of all sorts of awards and prizes that were got from the independent press (Videomaker, DCC Magazine, Digital Editor) as well as from the professionals on the international computer exhibitions (NAB, IBC, etc).

Provided by the System Video Graphics Alliance.

next >>