Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 14, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Fusion RX1600Fibre is a high-performance 16-drive RAID enclosure with Fibre Channel connectivity designed specifically for video editing. Equipped with a 4-port 8 GByte Fibre Channel interface, the storage solution can be used in multi-channel and multi-user workflows. Four workstations can be connected directly to the storage medium without requiring a Fibre Channel switch or dedicated server.
“Workgroups that use RX1600Fibre for video editing will quickly be delighted by the extreme performace,” says Sonnet CEO Robert Farnsworth. “The fibre-optic storage systems can deliver up to 30 streams of ProRes 422 HQ, more than twice the performance of Fibre Channel solutions not optimized for video editing. The throughput rate also remains consistently high when several users access the system.”
Up to four users can connect to RX1600Fibre without additional equipment and therefore without additional costs, making an additional switch unnecessary. This saves installation and energy costs. RX1600Fibre also offers advantages within a storage area network (SAN): using its 4-port 8 GByte interface, for example, the device can be integrated into a storage pool through a switch using two ports, while the other two ports remain available to users who require maximum performance.
SAN administrators have highly flexible configuration options: because RAID groups can be partitioned, several LUNs can be provided without resorting to several smaller storage systems. Port mapping enables specific partitions to be assigned to a port and controls access to individual volumes. RX1600Fibre can be used within an Xserve RAID domain and supports Final Cut Pro Server environments and Avid Volume Locking. The integrated SAS expander enables simple, economical expansion: little more is required than installing an RX1600 Expansion system in the rack and connecting a few cables.
Sonnet Fusion RX1600Fibre uses an ATTO Technology FastStream SC 8500E storage controller. The device therefore includes ATTO’s exclusive Advanced Data Streaming (ADS) technology, which enables controlled and even acceleration of data transfer. ADS maintains a continuous flow of data and compensates for speed fluctuations, which is particularly important in video editing. The FastStream controller permits fine adjustments to recovery priorities: unlike conventional RAID systems, whose performance falls significantly during recovery, RX1600Fibre can continue operating at maximum performance.
RX1600Fibre supports multipath I/O, a technology that increases performance and fault tolerance. Two or more Fibre Channel ports are used for data transfer so that storage access remains available if a cable or port fails. This can simultaneously distribute loads evenly across the system components. When RX1600Fibre is operated with sixteen 1 TB hard drives as RAID 5, several users have a total bandwidth of 1,000 MB/s available.
The product is compatible with Mac OS X and OS X Server from version 10.4.8. It can also be operated with Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Server 2003, 7 and XP Pro, as well as Linux systems. For SAN-management software, RX1600Fibre works with Apple Xsan 2, Tiger Technology metaSAN 3 and CommandSoft FibreJet, among others. Host adapters for up to eight GByte are supported.
SES 2.0 and S.M.A.R.T are supported for maximum control. Through S.M.A.R.T., alarms concerning critical operating conditions can be issued by on-screen notification, audible notifications or the LEDs on the housing. Setup, management and diagnostic tools can be accessed both directly and remotely through a straightforward web interface.
An RX1600Fibre storage system includes the housing with integrated RAID controller, 4-port 8 GByte interface and two mini-SAS expansion connectors, as well as a rack-mounting kit, 16 hard drives, two power cables, a two-metre RJ-45 CAT 5 network cable and a two-metre RJ-11-to-DB9 RS-232 cable. RX1600 Expansion systems include a housing with integrated SAS expanders and four mini-SAS connectors, as well as a rack-mounting kit, 16 hard drives, two 2-metre mini-SAS cables, two network cables and the operating instructions.
RX1600Fibre with 16 TByte is available now for around 13,300 euros. RX1600 Expansion costs around 5,100 euros.
