Large capacity drive recommendations

RudyPicardo

RudyPicardo

Member
(DVX Mods - I wasn't sure where to put this topic, so if it is in the incorrect area, please accept my sincere apologies.)


Fellow Users

My company recently got me an Apple G5, with Final Cut Studio, but with limited storage capacity (especially for video). We've purchased some external drives (300 GB Maxtor and are planning to order a few more). Here's the situation that was presented to me:

1) They first recommended that I back-up all the files to DVD. Their reasoning is that if the external hard-drive fails, we loose the data. I know there are strengths and weakness for this option, but I'd like to get your opinions.

2) They mentioned getting a RAID system, which I know nothing about. I know that it means Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, but I'm not sure how or if this integrates with an Apple/OS X system.

3) An alternative solution (or related one) was to get a huge Terabyte system/drive.


Here are some other parameters that I can give you:

1) We're average 5-10 video projects per year. The average space needed for each project is around 100 GB.

2) My supervisor recommended a 5-10 Terabyte drive/system. The system would be used solely for back-up/archiving. That is, it wouldn't be connected to any network for any extended time. It would only be used to hold "completed projects which are ready for archiving". As each project is archived, the system would be turned off and disconnected.

3) The "shelf-life" of the system would need to be between 3-5 years. They told me that by this time getting an alternative system in 3-5 years would be cheaper. In addition, as we’re shooting training videos, they may eliminate the data or reshoot anything made after 5 years.

For you professionals who have large capacity systems using the Apple, I would like to get your recommendations, as I’ve never dealt with systems this large.

You comments will be read by our Network Administrator and my other supervisors here. So candid, but professional advice is highly appreciated.

My thanks.
 
Hey there...I am not a mac user, but I'd like to chime in if I could...

As you've said, there are advantages to all of your options, as well as disadvantages. Backing everything up to DVDs is a stong and more permanent option...you can stack many of them up in a spindle, catalogue them for years to come etc.

But it doesn't address your workflow concerns. You need to capture, have a backup capture, and the space to do this. I think the terrabyte drive is an excellent answer for a very handy safety net, should you lose data. You could always turn to it, should the system you are working on, crash.

The raid is also a VERY smart move. A raid can primarily work in two ways; One, you can have them linked together to share data streams which allows for an excellent performance hard drive. Each hard drive in this raid configuration alternates at VERY high speeds to share the transfer of data information. Its like having two railroad builders alternating between nailing down the huge iron spike. When one recoils, the other is on it. And they alternate, getting the job done much faster.

I have two 10,000rpm Raptors set up this way. Its great. It never boggs down when I play back large rendered files. Now my single 120 gig hard drive at 5400 rpm, bogs down all the time.

Having said that, you can ALSO have your raid set up in a mirror configuration. Meaning, you DONT share them to help speed up the transfer of information. However, whatever you do on ONE hard drive will be saved and mirrored onto your other, automatically. So, if you have a hard drive failure and you lose everything, and the other one is still in tact (which it most likely will be), you haven't lost anything.

This is a clever solution. Personally, I prefer performance over safety. I have a 120 gig hard drive for space. Two 35gig Raptors in a raid for performance. I'll capture with my raid, and move over an entire copy of what I am working on, to my large drive to back it up. Plus, I make copies of everything on DVD to be safe. You can NEVER be too safe.

Granted, my solution gives me the need to update my storage drive (the 120gig drive I have) whenever I've moved forward significantly with my project or add more info to my raid. But, it works for me.

I hope this helps.

Rick
 
Hey, I wanted to recommend that you check out the wide range of solutions available from LaCie, http://www.lacie.com. For the kids show we've been working on, my partner (Aram) and I bought two LaCie Big Disk drives -- a 400GB and a 500GB -- and they've been awesome. We use one for production and one for back-up. We dumped almost 20 hours of footage to the production drive, have done all of our fX and graphics on it and all of our Avid edits, and we still have room to spare.

We're Windows users, but I just checked the LaCie Web site, and the company also makes drives for Macs -- it just came out with a new one for the Mac mini. The Big Disk drives come with both firewire and USB connections so you have a lot of flexibility, and they are extremely rugged. They seem to be the drive of choice in film/video -- ProSound, a NYC sound equipment house, recommended them to us and we haven't been sorry. We've had bad luck with Maxtors, by the way, especially using firewire connections -- a lot of read/write-fail errors. And, it seems, they just eventually die out, something to consider since you need a solution to last three years.

Keep us posted on the solution you come up with.
 
rlm7189 said:
[RAID is] like having two railroad builders alternating between nailing down the huge iron spike. When one recoils, the other is on it. And they alternate, getting the job done much faster.
Click to expand...

That's an AWSOME example! :thumbsup:

- Mikko
 
don't go the lacie route. i have had two of their big disk drives fail. i will never buy another one.

here is an interesting solution for backing up and storing projects. the case is kind of ulgy but what the hell it works. :)

http://www.granitedigital.com/catalog/pg38_firewireidehotswapdrive1394b.htm

a friend and fellow dvxuser turned me on to this as we sometimes work together. you can pop your own drive into the tray and swap when needed. good for a storage solution. i use this to back up all my projects. just add a new drive, transfer all the files and store it.

but if you got the $$$$$ take kai's advice. Xraid. good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top