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EditShare - Network Attached Storage
by E.L. Gibbor| Creative COW Magazine : Workflow Magic Issue | ||
EditShare is not a SAN (Storage Area Network). EditShare uses a NAS (Network Attached Storage) design that works with standard Gigabit Ethernet for its connectivity something you can find on virtually any modern laptop or desktop computer. Right out of the gate, this is a marked difference from SANs which require expensive Fibre Channel cards and switches. 
SD OPTIONS: Contrary to popular belief, Gigabit Ethernet, coupled with EditShare's RAID storage, is capable of even uncompressed SD resolutions. In fact, FCP users can play and edit up to four streams of uncompressed SD on a single Final Cut Pro workstation, running in realtime over Gigabit Ethernet. Similarly, Avid users can play and edit multiple streams of uncompressed SD or DNxHD on a single workstation running the latest Avid Adrenaline software. EditShare puts multiple Gigabit ports on its servers, so each workstation can have its own dedicated Gigabit connection if needed. HD OPTIONS: For customers whose projects require working with HD, EditShare has systems that use higher-throughput 10 Gigabit Ethernet, with either long-range Fibre connectors or short range Copper Cx4 connectors. SYSTEM FEATURES: EditShare is the only non-Avid storage solution supporting true and safe Avid Project Sharing for editors using Symphony, Media Composer or Xpress Pro/DV. EditShare allows multiple editors to simultaneously open and work from the exact same Avid Project, and get instant readonly access to each others bins and sequences. EditShare offers a unique "bin locking" feature that protects one editor's work from being modified by another, and also provides a simple mechanism for transferring bin ownership from one editor to another. Version 4 shipped in July 2006 and added a new system design that allows customers to install multiple EditShare Servers on their network and manage them all and connect to them from one simple Administration and User interface. Now EditShare customers can scale storage from a few terabytes, up to hundreds. Supporting uncompressed HD over 10-Gigabit Ethernet, the EditShare system can finish HD shows at highest possible quality settings using storage previously purchased for lower resolution editing projects. EditShare's storage is 100% RAID-5 protected, providing redundancy in the event of a drive failure. Using RAID-5, you sacrifice between 6 to 12 percent of total storage in order to achieve redundancy, much less than the 50 percent lost using systems that rely on full "mirroring." NEW LOG-IN CLIENT Users now connect to EditShare systems via a simple client called "EditShare Connect™." It lists all network volumes a user has permission to see, and remembers which volumes were mounted last time the user logged on. This makes reconnecting to EditShare or moving to a different workstation a breeze. NATIVE TCP/IP SUPPORT With its native TCP/IP connectivity, all users in an organization have the potential to connect to EditShare even via the Internet, if so desired. Using this native TCP/IP backbone, graphics and other personnel located across the street or across the country, can easily connect to other EditShare systems. SUMMARY Based on native TCP/IP connectivity, using conventional RAID-5 arrays, networked by either Gigabit or 10-Gigabit Ethernet, EditShare is a solution that will appeal to users seeking both networking power and simplicity of set-up and administration. Avid users will like the true Avid Project Sharing support, allowing networked users to access bins and files without the overwrite fears in some systems.
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E.L. Gibbor is a computer consultant living in Cypress, California. He specializes in high-end networked systems for demanding clients.
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