Apple only options is an xSan which is not an inexpensive solution, is not ethernet based, and will require someone knowledgeable about xSans to build and maintain it.
LukeG, nice post from the COW. I'd forgotten about that Bob Zelin article.
Lethal
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Crash Course in building an editing suite
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LukeG, nice post from the COW. I'd forgotten about that Bob Zelin article.
Lethal
thanks to all the helpful posts in this thread, i think i have a new way to frame my goal.
let's give it a shot: i want to buy 5 machines, 4 of them for workstations, all working off 2terabytes of networked hard drive.
what's my most basic setup? assume no keyboards, monitors are needed.
thanks again to everyone that has posted here, i am lightyears ahead of where i was when i started this thread.
let's give it a shot: i want to buy 5 machines, 4 of them for workstations, all working off 2terabytes of networked hard drive.
what's my most basic setup? assume no keyboards, monitors are needed.
thanks again to everyone that has posted here, i am lightyears ahead of where i was when i started this thread.
If you want all the editing machines to be working off of shared, centralized storage you have to either buy a system from someone (like the places I linked to) or you have to build your own from scratch (like one of the links from LukeG).
And "most basic setup" for what? DV capture over FW? SDI or analog capture using a Kona card into Uncompressed SD? Again, w/o specific info we can't give specific answers. You're asking for car advice w/o telling us whether you want to haul lumber or speed down the autobahn.
Lethal
And "most basic setup" for what? DV capture over FW? SDI or analog capture using a Kona card into Uncompressed SD? Again, w/o specific info we can't give specific answers. You're asking for car advice w/o telling us whether you want to haul lumber or speed down the autobahn.
Lethal
For DV capture any of the current Mac Pros will do pretty much in their base configuration. It's recommended that you have at least 1gig of RAM per core and a separate internal HDD for storage (apps go on the main drive and everything else goes on another drive). I'm still assuming you'll use shared storage so the local storage requirements on each machine aren't a big deal. You'll also need software, a DV deck, and an external monitor (an SD broadcast monitor) to view your footage on as well as a pair of decent audio monitors (not computer speakers).
If you need to deliver an edited master on tape to a broadcaster you'll most likely need an i/o device (internal card or external box) from AJA, Blackmagic, or Matrox that will allow you to do frame accurate outputs to a higher end DV deck that has RS-422 the ability to set TC, and, preferably, SDI in/outs.
You'll probably need some other odds and ends but at it's most basic, there it pretty much is. If you plan on doing HD stuff anytime in the foreseeable future I'd recommend getting gear that does both HD and SD. If you get SD gear only now you'll have to buy everything over again when you move to HD and that's just a waste of money.
Lethal
If you need to deliver an edited master on tape to a broadcaster you'll most likely need an i/o device (internal card or external box) from AJA, Blackmagic, or Matrox that will allow you to do frame accurate outputs to a higher end DV deck that has RS-422 the ability to set TC, and, preferably, SDI in/outs.
You'll probably need some other odds and ends but at it's most basic, there it pretty much is. If you plan on doing HD stuff anytime in the foreseeable future I'd recommend getting gear that does both HD and SD. If you get SD gear only now you'll have to buy everything over again when you move to HD and that's just a waste of money.
Lethal
2 TB's of storage?
Are you sure you only need 2 TB's of storage? With such little storage why even bother with all this? Why not just get some external storage drives and just plug them in to each computer. Or, get a new Mac Pro and add a TB drive to each system.
I don't know what the hell I am doing, I learn as I go, but 2 TB hardly seems worth all the time to get networked together. I have moved from smaller external drives to a five bay 7.5 TB external storage box. I find it a pain to switch back and forth between external drives all the time. Plus the hassle of backups.
Are you sure you only need 2 TB's of storage? With such little storage why even bother with all this? Why not just get some external storage drives and just plug them in to each computer. Or, get a new Mac Pro and add a TB drive to each system.
I don't know what the hell I am doing, I learn as I go, but 2 TB hardly seems worth all the time to get networked together. I have moved from smaller external drives to a five bay 7.5 TB external storage box. I find it a pain to switch back and forth between external drives all the time. Plus the hassle of backups.
what you want to hear is that you can buy a gigabit switch and plug cat-5 cables into each machine and be done with it.
what you don't want to hear is that this will not work because it won't be fast enough.
here's an article you should read
what you don't want to hear is that this will not work because it won't be fast enough.
here's an article you should read
i read that article from post #24.
here's what i want to hear: what is my connection from the mac pros to the server.
what do you use? how reliable has it been for you? what would you rather be using?
edit:
what are the options from best to worst?
here's what i want to hear: what is my connection from the mac pros to the server.
what do you use? how reliable has it been for you? what would you rather be using?
edit:
what are the options from best to worst?
the setup described in that article is going to be the cheapest solution that actually works. fibre channel is faster, but more expensive.
the problem with just hooking each computer up with a single GigE connection is that the host/server computer has to distribute to 4 machines. that 1Gbps now turns into 250Mbps which is less than a FW drive (and these are just theoretical maximums). this is why, in the article, each client computer gets a single connection and the host uses the managed switch and 4-port card to create an aggregate 4Gbps connection. now the data isn't bottle necked at the server.
I don't have networked machines at home, but I use Fibre Channel at work.
the problem with just hooking each computer up with a single GigE connection is that the host/server computer has to distribute to 4 machines. that 1Gbps now turns into 250Mbps which is less than a FW drive (and these are just theoretical maximums). this is why, in the article, each client computer gets a single connection and the host uses the managed switch and 4-port card to create an aggregate 4Gbps connection. now the data isn't bottle necked at the server.
I don't have networked machines at home, but I use Fibre Channel at work.
so is fibre channel the best way to go?
this is completely new territory for me, i've seen fibre channel as a possible bto for a mac pro, but i've never seen one in use, i don't even know what the cable is called.
i trust that article to be very informative, but there is so much in there i have no frame of reference for.
so fibre goes out of the mac pro and into what?
thanks again, i deeply appreciate your taking time to respond.
this is completely new territory for me, i've seen fibre channel as a possible bto for a mac pro, but i've never seen one in use, i don't even know what the cable is called.
i trust that article to be very informative, but there is so much in there i have no frame of reference for.
so fibre goes out of the mac pro and into what?
thanks again, i deeply appreciate your taking time to respond.
If you can afford it, then Fibre Channel is the way to go.
Regardless of which type you choose, do not fool yourself into thinking this is a setup once and you're done type of thing. When you create a high-bandwidth network with shared storage, you really need to have someone around that knows how to maintain it.
Regardless of which type you choose, do not fool yourself into thinking this is a setup once and you're done type of thing. When you create a high-bandwidth network with shared storage, you really need to have someone around that knows how to maintain it.
Perhaps the most important thing that both BigBoss and Lethal mentioned and that I also recommend is the part of a reliable technician.
Granted, you might be able to setup the whole system and suite, the minute ONE little problem occurs, it's not only frustrating to figure out the solution but also a time killer... In this case, time = big $$$.
Get the tech. Really.
Granted, you might be able to setup the whole system and suite, the minute ONE little problem occurs, it's not only frustrating to figure out the solution but also a time killer... In this case, time = big $$$.
Get the tech. Really.