STORAGE

The SGI RM660, Based on DataDirect Networks' S2A Storage System, Provides Real-Time File Sharing and Streaming for RIOT's Film Transfer, Color Correction and Post Production Processes: RIOT, an award winning bi-coastal digital studio that provides creative visual effects, animation, telecine and post-production services, has selected SGI's RM660 as the primary storage to support their digital intermediate workflow. The SGI RM660, based on DataDirect Networks' field proven S2A (Silicon Storage Appliance) 8500 storage solution, enables real-time processing in 2K and HD application environments. DataDirect Networks' (DDN) S2A technology is the ideal storage solution for high throughput, high capacity and multiple operating system environments found in today's digital intermediate and post production environments. "We chose the SGI RM660 after considerable due diligence to find a storage solution that would meet our scalable, extremely fast throughput and high availability requirements," said Robb Cadzow, Chief Engineer at RIOT. "Its architecture, based on DDN's S2A technology, has broad industry support and enables a wide range of shared and parallel file systems that allow us to utilize the many types of workstations and applications to create in real-time regardless of file format." "We found the RM660's unique architecture could also support not just high concurrency but read and write performance equally. This unique capability delivered on all counts, with support of up to two 2K streams of real-time reads and one stream of real-time write along with several streams of real-time HD," added Cadzow. RIOT has initially installed 18.6 TB of raw capacity used as shared storage between the studio's Thomson Spirit 2k telecine, Da Vinci color correction system, AutoDesk Fire editing system, Flame compositing and Inferno visual effects suites. This allows RIOT to easily scale their bandwidth and capacity needs as they grow, while empowering real-time collaborative workflow throughout their digital post-production process. The SGI RM660 enabled with DDN's S2A storage technology brings the promise of high performance SANs to high-end studios like RIOT with minimal time required for installation. With exceptionally high system resiliency, the S2A allows studios to scale storage with high performance Fibre Channel disk storage. The RM660 with the S2A architecture simplifies performance, management and availability enabling RIOT to lower initial and ongoing IT equipment costs, reduce management burden, and accelerate its collaborative workflow process. With DDN's S2A storage solutions, RIOT can safely and easily accelerate and scale real-time 2K and HD digital intermediate workflow and data consolidation. "The industry proven S2A storage system, integrated into high performance solutions like SGI's RM660, is helping to accelerate the industry's shift to an all digital environment, enabling true real-time collaboration and the inevitable transition from 2k (2048x1080) to 4k (4096x2160) digital intermediate workflow," concluded Cadzow.