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MillimeterAvid Unveils Next-Generation Shared-Storage Solution Avid Unity ISIS
Oct 26, 2005 11:42 AM
Avid Technology has unveiled its next-generation shared-storage solution in the Avid Unity family – the Avid Unity ISIS media network. Unlike other storage area network (SAN) devices that rely on centralized intelligence to manage data, the Avid Unity ISIS system introduces an industry first: Infinitely Scalable Intelligent Storage (ISIS) that leverages a distributed-intelligence architecture. This design enables 16 individual storage blades – housed within a single storage chassis (Avid ISIS Engine) – to process media, while simultaneously sharing data and balancing the collective workflow between entire groups of connected storage drives.
With its distributed intelligence architecture, the Avid Unity ISIS system has no inherent storage or connectivity limitations and avoids bottlenecks that can occur in storage systems that use centralized intelligence. The result is a realtime shared workflow that delivers virtually unlimited storage headroom, extraordinary resiliency, and vast client connectivity.
Version 1.0 of Avid Unity ISIS comes equipped with storage capacity of up to 64TB per system, with the ability to link multiple Avid ISIS Engines to one another; connectivity of up to 100 clients working in realtime over standard Gigabit Ethernet; native compatibility with leading Ethernet switching technologies, such as best-in-class products from Cisco Systems; and the flexibility to hot-swap any storage component–even in the midst of data transfer–to ensure uninterrupted access to information for all users within a facility.
“Back in 1999, when we first introduced the Avid Unity MediaNetwork, we created a new standard for shared storage in the media production industry. Now, with Avid Unity ISIS, we’ve again created an entirely new playing field for real-time, collaborative digital content creation,” said David Krall, president and chief executive officer of Avid.
“Based on our experience serving a wide range of enterprise-class customers, Avid has designed and built a next-generation storage environment that is extraordinarily resilient and efficient, and massively scalable. Avid Unity ISIS is the industry’s first media storage system to distribute intelligence across a standard Ethernet infrastructure, balancing workloads by replicating and distributing files among all components in the system and instantly adapting to traffic and load patterns for all connected clients in real-time. This decentralized approach to workflow is truly revolutionary. It delivers the ultimate in storage capacity, reliability, real-time performance, and client connectivity.”
The Avid Unity ISIS system is designed to support a wide array of digital media production environments, including broadcast news and network production operations, reality television productions, and education institutions with multi-purpose media labs. The system sets new industry benchmarks for shared-media production that include:
- Infinite Storage Scalability and Capacity – using a distributed intelligence architecture that eliminates the storage, connectivity, and transfer constraints found in centralized intelligence systems. Version 1.0 of Avid Unity ISIS will scale from 8 TB to 64 TB, with storage available in 8 TB increments. As data demands grow, users can connect additional Avid ISIS Engines, with each new engine increasing the aggregate bandwidth and reliability of the entire system.
- Unmatched Client Scalability and Access – accommodating up to 100 dual-stream real-time 50 Megabyte-per-second (Mbps) clients, and up to 1,000 user-accounts for media networks in demanding environments that require larger numbers of clients to simultaneously record or play digital video and audio media. Unlike other solutions that are limited to read-only or push-pull sharing, Avid Unity ISIS provides multiple clients with simultaneous read and write access.
- Exceptional Reliability – providing intelligent, self-healing drive blades that communicate with one another, able to adapt instantly and redistribute data in the event of a drive failure. All processing takes place in parallel to maintain real-time flow and data resiliency; the more storage that is added to the system, the more quickly it self-heals in the event of an error. When a failed drive is replaced, data is rebuilt at speeds up to 20 times faster than typical RAID systems.
- Unrivaled Workflow Flexibility – enabling users to modify bandwidth requirements as demands for multiple streams of real-time DV, SD, or mastering-quality Avid DNxHD™ media grow over time.
- Robust Ethernet Compatibility – allowing connectivity with Cisco’s best-in-class Catalyst 4948 Series Ethernet switches to deliver unparalleled performance.
Continue the discussion on Crosstalk the Millimeter Forum.