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MillimeterStudio Network Solutions Introduces globalSAN X-4
Sep 20, 2005 12:07 PM
Studio Network Solutions (SNS), recently unveiled its newest product in the globalSAN family, the X-4. Among the new and updated storage offerings from SNS, the X-4 is a small, yet complete Storage Area Network (SAN) created for multi-room audio studios worldwide that rely on Digidesign's award-winning Pro Tools DAW.
"We've built the X-4 to be within reach of every multiroom audio studio. Price, performance, capacity—all factors were taken into consideration to make this the best choice for Pro Tools facilities," says Gary Holladay, president of SNS.
The X-4 will be offered as a complete package that includes 1.6TB of SATA storage in a 1U enclosure. It will contain a single RAID controller and two client licenses of SAN software. One of the most noteworthy aspects of the SAN is the price. While the X-4 is unique in many ways, at $6,999 it offers the lowest point of entry for a complete multi-user, multi-platform shared SAN.
"Our objective is to enhance the Pro Tools experience," continues Holladay. With that goal, emphasis has been placed on simple administration and ease of use. Audio engineers can connect directly to the X-4 over Gigabit Ethernet and share RAID-protected storage just as easily as they would with a more expensive Fibre Channel SAN.
The X-4 was also designed around the concept of being "stackable." For example, a small studio may only need one X-4 unit. But as that studio continues to grow, additional X-4 units can easily be added to increase capacity, performance, and users.
As with all models in the globalSAN family, the product is based on the iSCSI protocol, which maximizes the performance of Gigabit Ethernet. The X-4 offers more bandwidth and far greater distance capabilities than USB or FireWire. All globalSAN systems provide the ability to create a high-performance SAN using Ethernet components. Using iSCSI as the SAN protocol eliminates the need to purchase comparatively expensive components found in a traditional Fibre Channel SAN.
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