Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/737949
STORAGE www.postmagazine.com 41 POST OCTOBER 2016 THE SUB-PLOT Underlying all of these villainous obsta- cles is the editorial workflow itself. Even if everything is working, how ready is your system for the deadline situa- tion? How easy is it to find the media you're looking for among thousands of clips ingested weeks ago? Though not necessarily a problem, not having an asset-tracking element in the workflow can cost time and money. So you have to ask: Do my people ever have prob- lems locating the right shot, or cate- gory of shots? Would it help to have entire categories of media cataloged together for quick access? Do you have a stock library or common elements that are used often? If these answers are 'no,' you are an easy customer for the generic "no-frills" NAS. If any are 'yes,' you'll be looking for a product that includes an asset tracking and search capability. Even better if the catalogues can be permis- sioned, and found clips can be quickly accessed in the editing software. Finding the perfect b-roll clip that everyone remembers was shot, but can't find, is only half of the answer. When deadlines are tight, getting access to that shot once found is just as important. Look for a solution that can get the clip into your editing system instantly with the simplicity of drag and drop. THE CLIMAX When everything is spinning like a top, the clients are happy and the deadline is well within reach, it feels like the final scene has arrived and you're ready for the happy ending. But wait, there's a twist. The client wants a pre-vis, high- res conform before they take it to the finishing house. They'd rather not pay to fix things in finishing that they can catch now. Remember, you transcoded all this media so it would play nice with your NAS, now it's time to relink to the camera masters. So the question is, are you okay with reconfiguring your edit suite and renting in some local attached storage to do a high-res conform? If the answer is 'yes,' again you made it easy for the NAS. If you'd rather not, you'll be looking for a shared system with capa- bility to go beyond your everyday band- width requirements. This means one of two things — spend for a super-fast, SSD-based or hybrid system in case you need it, or change the way you're accessing the storage. Some shared sys- tems enable various methods of volume access; either through the management layer (shared file system), or direct to the storage. Direct access is always faster, and it's available even when other workstations are already using other parts of the system. THE PAYOFF The client is happy; the job is done and signed off. Will they return for changes, local- ization or a recut? If you'd like them to return, you may want to let them know that you can hold onto the sources for them, free of charge. That way when they come back, they don't need to bring anything with them. If this is important to your relationships with your custom- ers, it would be good to have an affordable way to do that. Many shared storage systems have integrated ar- chive features, and can even avoid hav- ing to set up a workstation to process the data. LTO tape is solid and resilient, and holds more data than ever, at a low cost, virtually forever. WHO IS YOUR HERO? We talked about the reasons you may want to upgrade to a premium shared storage system, but if you think there's still a chance you can make do with a simple NAS, there are many to choose from. Just remember that network stor- age normally requires some networking knowledge, more than just setting an IP address. However, it can be very cost effective, and once set up properly, it's a ubiquitous member on the desktops of all the clients. Premium systems, sometimes called SANs, have customized connection software, optimized connection meth- ods and can be attached through premium formats like fibre channel. Still, it's not the connection that does the work, it's the software. Even through 1Gb Ethernet, the premium systems will per- form better by opening up a pathway for data and letting it ride the pipe as fast as it can. Whereas simple NAS systems are largely data ag- nostic, premium systems tend to be purpose built for certain tasks such as handling large media files in the most efficient manner. Knowing the task at hand, the considerations regarding how the data is written to the disk can make a huge impact on performance, especially as a system nears capacity. MAKING THE DECISION While it is true that deciding on the right storage infrastructure can seem like a daunting task, it doesn't have to be. Just tell your story to someone who knows the market. Don't be impressed by the newest and shiniest buttons, and do your homework. Deciding what your business needs now, and anticipating your needs in the future is job one. Armed with that data, you can make an informed decision on the type of storage you need, making sure the connectivity and management is built for where your business is heading. If you have any other questions regarding the right storage for your business, don't hesitate to reach out. At Facilis, we're here to listen and consult on the best solution for you, even if it doesn't turn out to be ours. premium formats like fibre channel. Still, it's not the connection that does the work, it's the software. Even certain tasks such as handling large media files in the most efficient manner. Knowing the task at hand, the considerations regarding how the data is written to the disk can make a huge impact on performance, especially as a system nears capacity. MAKING THE DECISION While it is true that deciding on the right storage infrastructure